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LECTURES 


THE    NATURE,   SUBJECTS,   AND   MODE 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM 


JOHN   T.^PRESSLY,  D.  D. 


PITTSBURGH: 

PRINTED    BY   A.   JAYNES,   FRANKLIN   HEAD,    THIRD    STREET. 

1841. 


^^ 


PREFACEV 


To  the  Members  of  the  First  Associate  Reformed 
Church,  Allegheny. 

MY    DEAR    BRETHREN  : 

A  remarkable  providence  removed 
me  from  the  place  of  my  birth,  and  from  a  beloved 
congregation,  to  take  charge  of  the  Theological 
Seminary  in  this  place.  When  I  first  took  up  my 
abode  among  you,  we  were  strangers  to  each  other. 
But,  if  I  came  among  you  a  stranger,  I  soon  found 
myself  in  the  midst  of  kind  and  warm-hearted 
christian  friends.  In  addition  to  the  duties  incum- 
bent upon  me  as  Professor  of  Theology,  I  was 
afterward  called  to  take  the  charge  of  your  souls. 
It  is  now  eight  years  since  I  commenced  my  pas- 
toral labors  among  you.  During  the  first  winter 
of  my  connection  with  you,  some  of  you  will  re- 
member, that  a  room  in  the  basement  of  a  small 
building  was  sufficiently  spacious  to  accommodate 
us  all.  It  was  the  day  of  small  things.  But  while 
Memory  performs  her  wonted  office,  I  can  never 
forget  the  pleasant  hours  I  spent  with  you  in  that 


IV  PREFACE. 

humble  room  where,  with  a  glance  of  the  eye,  I 
could  see  when  every  member  was  in  his  place. 

tn  the  month  of  June,  1833,  the  Lord's  Supper 
was  dispensed  among  you  for  the  first  time;  on 
which  occasion,  sixty-six  persons  were  admitted  to 
the  communion  of  the  church.  And  now,  by  the 
good  hand  of  our  God  upon  us,  the  number  of  our 
communicants  exceeds  four  hundred.  May  our 
growth  in  grace,  and  in  the  knowledge  of  Jesus 
Christ,  keep  pace  with  our  numerical  increase! 
Your  establishment  in  the  truth,  and  your  advance- 
ment in  the  divine  life,  I  hope  I  can  say  in  truth, 
are  objects  near  to  my  heart.  /  have  no  greater 
joy  than  to  hear  that  my  children  walk  in  the  truth. 
To  you  these  Lectures,  delivered  originally  with 
a  view  to  your  instruction,  and  now  published  in 
accordance  with  your  request,  are  respectfully  pre- 
sented, as  a  small  testimonial  of  the  gratitude  and 
regard  of  your  affectionate  pastor. 

JOHN  T.  PRESSLY. 

Allegheny,  Feb.  8th,  1841. 


LECTURES 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM 


LECTURE   I. 


"  Go  ye,  therefore,  and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in 
the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost."— Matthew  28:19. 

"In  vain  they  do  worship  me,  teaching  for  doc- 
trines the  commandments  of  men."  Such  is  the 
grave  charge  which  our  Lord  prefers  against  those, 
who,  by  their  tradition,  made  the  commandment  of 
God  of  none  effect.  In  every  period  of  the  church 
the  pride  of  the  depraved  heart  has  displayed  itself, 
in  attempting  to  improve  the  institutions  of  heaven, 
by  incorporating  with  them  something  of  human  con- 
trivance. But  from  the  words,  to  which  I  have  re- 
ferred, we  learn, -that  to  render  our  religious  homage 
acceptable  to  God,  it  must  be  offered  in  accordance 
with  the  divine  will;  and  that  whatever  may  be  their 
pretended  zeal  tor  the  ordinances  of  religion,  they 
worship  God  in  vain,  whose  fear  toward  him  is 
taught  by  the  precept  of  men.  In  every  religious 
service  in  which  we  engage,  our  first  inquiry,  tjierep 
fore,  should  be,  what  is  the  divine  appointment?  For 
1* 


6  LECTURES    ON    BAPTIS31. 

if,  regardless  of  the  authority  of  God,  we  come  be- 
fore him,  in  the  observance  of  rites  of  mere  human 
institution,  we  expose  ourselves  to  the  merited  re- 
buke, "  Who  hath  required  this  at  your  hands?" 

Among  the  ordinances  of  Christianity  which  have 
been  instituted  for  the  perfecting  of  the  saints,  and 
for  the  edifying  of  the  body  of  Christ,  baptism  occu- 
pies a  prominent  place.  This  institution  derives  its 
origin  from  the  appointment  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  only 
lawgiver  in  Zion,  and  was  designed  not  only  to  dis- 
tinguish his  followers  from  the  world  which  lieth  in 
wickedness,  but  to  confirm  their  faith  in  the  great 
doctrines  of  the  gospel,  which  it  so  impressively 
teaches,  and  to  build  them  up  in  holiness  and  com- 
fort throusjh  faith  unto  salvation.     Havinsj  died  for 

.         .  ... 

our  sin,  and  having  risen  for  our  justification,  and 

all  power  in  heaven  and  in  earth  being  given  unto 
him,  our  Lord  invested  his  apostles  with  a  commis- 
sion to  go  forth  and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them 
in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of 
the  Holy  Ghost.  Their  ministry  was  no  longer  to 
be  confined  to  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel; 
but  they  were  to  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature 
and  to  make  disciples  in  all  nations,  receiving  into 
the  christian  church,  by  baptism,  all  who  embraced 
the  religion  of  Jesus.  Baptism  is,  then,  an  ordinance 
of  Jesus  Christ,  by  our  reception  of  which,  we  sol- 
emnly declare  ourselves  to  be  his  disciples.  By 
submitting  to  this  rite  of  his  appointment,  we  avow- 
edly take  his  yoke  upon  us,  and  acknowledge  our 
entire  subjection  to  his  authority  in  all  things. 
When  the  administration  of  this  ordinance  is  wit- 
nessed, it  is  natural  for  the  world  to  inquire,  "  What 
mean  ye  by  this  service?"  And  to  such  an  inquiry, 
the  professed  followers  of  Christ  should  always  be 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  7 

prepared  to  give  an  intelligible  and  satisfactory  an- 
swer. 

It  is  therefore  proposed  in  the  present  lecture,  to 
inquire  into  the  meaning  of  this  institution,  and  the 
nature  of  the  profession  which  is  made  in  receiving 
it. 

It  is  well  known  that  there  has  been  no  little  con- 
troversy in  the  christian  world,  with  regard  to  the 
subjects  and  the  mode  of  baptism.  Whatever  diver- 
sity of  opinion  may  exist  among  professing  christians 
with  regard  to  these  things,  it  is  a  matter  in  which 
all  are  equally  interested,  to  understand  the  nature, 
and  spirit,  and  meaning  of  the  institution.  And 
yet,  it  is  apprehended,  that,  while  things  of  less  im- 
portance have  been  the  theme  of  zealous  disputation, 
it  is  a  fault  common  to  many  on  both  sides  of  the 
general  controversy,  that  they  overlook  the  meaning 
and  intention  of  the  institution  itself.  Nor  let  any 
one  imagine  that  this  is  a  matter  of  little  importance. 
For  if  we  do  not,  in  some  degree,  understand  what 
this  ordinance  was  intended  to  teach,  or  if  we  have 
imbibed  false  views  of  its  nature  and  design,  no  mat- 
ter how  scriptural  may  be  the  mode  according  to 
which  this  rite  may  have  been  administered  to  us,  it 
would  be  vain  to  expect  our  reception  of  it  can  be 
either  acceptable  to  God  or  profitable  to  ourselves. 
Let  us  then  inquire,  what  are  some  of  the  important 
doctrines  which  are  taught  in  baptism? 

1.  In  this  ordinance,  we  have  a  decided  testimony 
to  the  doctrine  of  a  trinity  of  persons  in  the  unity 
of  the  Godhead.  A  proper  knowledge  of  God  lies 
at  the  foundation  of  all  true  religion.  And  as  this 
is  a  doctrine  in  which  the  scriptural  character  of  God 
is  involved,  it  is  a  fundamental  principle  in  the  chris- 
tian system.     If,  in  the  revelation  given  of  himself, 


8  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

God  is  represented  as  existing  in  a  trinity  of  jjersons, 
then  they  who  reject  the  divinity  of  the  Son  and  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  do  not  worship  the  God  of  the  Bi- 
ble, and  cannot  be  recognized  as  having  any  just 
claim  to  the  christian  name.  And  on  the  other 
hand,  if  the  true  God  does  not  exist  in  a  trinity  of 
persons,  then,  they  who  beheve  in  the  divinity  of 
the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  therefore  render 
to  them  religious  worship,  are  justly  chargeable  with 
idolatry.  A  diversity  of  opinion  on  this  subject  is, 
consequently,  not  a  matter  of  indifference,  but  must 
necessarily  give  a  character  to  our  views  of  the  plan 
of  salvation  revealed  in  the  gospel.  The  doctrine 
of  the  Trinity,  then,  lies  at  the  foundation  of  the 
christian  system,  and  in  the  ordinance  of  baptism, 
we  have  a  plain  testimony  in  support  of  it.  By  the 
appointment  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  person  to  whom  this 
rite  is  administered  is  baptized  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Here 
are  three  distinct  persons,  in  whose  name  we  are 
baptized  and  to  whom  we  are  solemnly  dedicated. 
And  while  there  is  a  distinction  of  persons,  they  are 
one  in  name,  in  nature  and  perfections,  and  have  an 
equal  claim  to  all  divine  glory. 

For  a  knowledge  of  this  doctrine,  we  are  indebted 
exclusively  to  divine  revelation.  It  is  so  entirely 
above  the  discoveries  of  unassisted  reason,  that  vain 
man,  prone  to  glory  in  his  own  wisdom  rather  than 
learn  in  humility  from  the  Bible,  has  in  every  period 
of  the  church,  manifested  an  unwillingness  to  receive 
it.  But  while  it  is  admitted  to  be  a  truth,  which  un- 
assisted reason  never  could  have  discovered,  yet, 
when  made  known  by  revelation,  it  contains  nothing 
contradictory  to  sound  reason;  and  consequently, 
however  incomprehensible  it  may  be,  it  involves  no 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  9 

absurdity.  If  we  maintained  that  God  is  three,  in 
the  same  sense  in  which  he  is  one,  it  is  conceded 
that  such  a  doctrine  would  be  liable  to  the  charge  of 
contradiction  and  absurdity.  And,  therefore,  as  ra- 
tional creatures,  we  could  not  believe  it.  But,  it  in- 
volves no  contradiction  to  maintain,  that  in  the  unity 
of  the  divine  nature  there  is  a  threefold  personality. 
If  any  one  should  vainly  inquire.  How  can  three  dis- 
tinct persons  exist  in  the  unity  of  the  Godhead?  I 
reply,  this  is  a  matter  which  it  would  be  presump- 
tion in  the  creature  to  undertake  to  explain.  "  VVho 
can,  by  searching,  find  out  God  ?  who  can  find  out 
the  Almighty  unto  perfection?"  The  question  for 
us  to  determine  is,  simply,  what  is  the  revelation 
which  God  has  given  of  himself?  This  we  are 
bound  to  receive  implicitly,  however  far  the  truth 
revealed  may  be  above  our  comprehension.  And 
when  we  look  into  the  lively  oracles,  we  see  that 
while  the  unity  of  God  is  every  where  maintained,  it 
is  no  less  plainly  taught,  that  "  there  are  three  that 
bear  record  in  heaven,  the  Father,  the  Word  and  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  these  three  are  one," 

It  is  not  intended  to  enter  upon  an  elaborate  argu- 
ment in  defence  of  this  doctrine.  .  It  may  serve, 
however,  more  fully  to  satisfy  our  minds  in  relation 
to  the  validity  of  the  argument  drawn  from  christian 
baptism,  to  see  that  this  truth  is  plainly  taught  else- 
where throughout  the  scriptures.  I  remark,  then, 
that  with  regard  to  the  divinity  of  the  first  person  of 
the  Godhead,  there  is  in  the  christian  world  no  di- 
versity of  opinion.  That  the  Father  is  truly  and 
properly  God,  all  will  admit.  And  if  we  are  wiUing 
to  take  the  scriptures  as  our  guide,  the  proof  of  the 
divinity  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  not  less 
conclusive.     How  does  it  appear  that  the  Father  pos^ 


10  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

sesses  the  glory  which  is  peculiar  to  divinity?  is  it 
because  the  oracles  oi"  truth  ascribe  to  him  those 
names,  titles  and  attributes,  which  belong  only  to 
Deity?  Is  it  because  he  is  represented  as  performing 
the  works  which  no  created  being  can  accomplish  ? 
Is  it  because  that  religious  homage  is  ascribed  to 
him,  which  it  would  be  idolatry  to  offer  to  the  most 
exalted  creature?  It  is  readily  admitted  that  these 
are  so  many  conclusive  proofs  of  the  true  and  pro- 
per deity  of  the  Father.  But  the  sacred  scriptures 
furnish  the  very  same  arguments  in  support  of  the 
divinity  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  They, 
therefore,  are  justly  chargeable  with  inconsistency, 
who,  upon  the  testimony  of  scripture,  admit  the  di- 
vinity of  the  Father,  and  yet  reject  the  divinity  of 
the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  is  supported 
by  the  same  authority.  Do  we  believe  that  the  Fa- 
ther is  God,  because  the  scriptures  ascribe  to  him 
those  names  which  are  peculiar  to  deity?  For  the 
same  reason  we  must  admit  the  divinity  of  the  Son. 
*'In  the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was 
with  God,  and  the  Word  was  God."  While  the 
Word,  who  was  made  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us,  is 
here  expressly, called  God,  the  work  of  creation, 
which  is  peculiar  to  the  Deity,  is  likewise  ascribed  to 
him.  "  By  him  were  all  things  made,  and  without 
him  was  not  any  thing  made,  that  was  made."* 
Contrasting  the  glory  of  Jesus  Christ  with  that  of 
the  angels,  the  apostle  represents  the  Father  as  ad- 
dressincr  the  Son  in  the  fol lowing  laniijuacre:  "But 
untu  the  Son  he  saith.  Thy  throne,  O  God,  is  for 
ever  and  ever."  Is  religious  worship  to  be  offered 
to  God  only?     And  do  the  scriptures  denounce  the 

*  John,  1  : 1,  3. 


LECTURES  BXrTJ8M.  11 

most  fearful  maledictions  against  those  who  worship 
any  other  being?  Tt  is,  then,  the  express  command 
of  God,  that  "all  men  should  honor  the  Son,  even  as 
they  honor  the  Father."  And  when  he  bringeth  the 
first  begotten  into  the  world  he  saith,  "And  let  all 
the  angels  of  God  worship  him."*  According  to 
the  uniform  language  of  the  scriptures,  then,  though 
Jesus  Christ,  as  Mediator,  humbled  himself  and  took 
upon  him  the  form  of  a  servant  and  was  made  in  the 
likeness  of  men,  yet  he  is  God  over  all,  blessed  for- 
ever, the  Creator  of  all  things,  and  has  a  just  claim 
to  the  same  religious  homage  from  angels  and  from 
men,  which  is  due  unto  the  Father. 

By  the  same  process  of  reasoning,  the  divinity  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  may  be  conclusively  established. 
He  is  expressly  called  God  ;  to  him  the  work  of 
creation  is  ascribed,  and  to  him  omniscience  and 
omnipresence,  essential  perfections  of  the  deity,  are 
attributed.  And  both  in  the  ordinance  of  christian 
baptism  and  in  the  apostolic  benediction,  he  is  asso- 
ciated with  the  Father  and  the  Son,  as  equally  the 
source  of  blessing  to  man  and  the  proper  object  of 
religious  homage.  That  there  are  three  divine  per- 
sons in  the  unity  of  the  Godhead  is,  then,  the  doc- 
trine of  the  sacred  scriptures.  And  while  this  great 
truth  is  plainly  taught  in  baptism,  the  different  per- 
sons of  the  adorable  Trinity  are,  in  this  ordinance, 
represented  as  jointly  engaged  in  the  grand  work  of 
man's  redemption.  Believers  are  "  Elect,  according 
to  the  foreknowledge  of  God  the  Father,  through 
sanctification  of  the  Spirit,  unto  obedience  and 
■sprinkling  of  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ. "f 

2.  In  baptism,  we  have  an  impressive  representa- 

»  Heb.  1  :  6,  8.  t  1  Peter,  1  : 2. 


12  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

tion  of  the  doctrine  of  human  depravity.  In  this 
ordinance,  by  the  command  of  Christ,  water,  which 
is  used  for  the  purpose  of  washing,  is  applied  to  the 
body.  The  necessity  of  spiritual  cleansing  is  there- 
by plainly  signified.  For,  if  we  were  not  the  sub- 
jects of  moral  defilement ;  if  our  nature  were  not 
contaminated  with  sin,  cleansing  would  be  unneces- 
sary, and  the  application  of  water  in  baptism  would 
be  unmeaning.  In  this  christian  institution,  then, 
we  have  exhibited  to  our  view,  in  an  expressive 
figure,  a  truth  which  is  taught  every  where  through- 
out the  sacred  volume,  which  it  is  greatly  important 
that  we  should  understand  and  feel,  but  which  the 
proud  heart  is  very  unwilling  to  admit,  namely,  that 
we  are  guilty  before  God.  Sin,  like  a  leprosy,  hath 
pervaded  our  whole  nature ;  it  is  preying  upon  our 
very  vitals,  and  unless  it  is  removed  we  must  perish. 
O  sinner  !  thou  hast  destroyed  thyself!  Thy  heart 
is  not  right  with  God.  He  with  whom  thou  hast  to 
do,  is  of  purer  eyes  than  to  behold  evil;  he  cannot 
look  on  iniquity.  But  thy  conscience  is  defiled  with 
sin  ;  thy  heart  is  alienated  from  the  life  of  God  ; 
thou  art  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins.  And  in  the 
ordinance  of  baptism,  you  may  see  that  unless  your 
conscience  is  purged  from  dead  works  by  the  blood 
of  Jesus  ;  or,  in  other  words,  unless  you  are  justified 
through  faith  in  Christ  Jesus,  you  can  never  appear 
before  God  with  acceptance.  But  while  baptism,  in 
an  expressive  figure,  represents  our  guilty  condition 
as  sinners,  it  also  teaches, 

3.  The  doctrine  of  expiation  by  the  blood  of  Je- 
sus. The  application  of  water  to  the  body  in  bap- 
tism, plainly  teaches  that  we  need  to  be  washed  ; 
while,  at  the  same  time,  it  represents  the  provision 
which  God   has  made  for  the  expiation  of  human 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  ,      13 

guilt.  But  the  water  itself  cannot  remove  the  moral 
defilement  of  sin.  Water  may  put  away  the  filth  of 
the  flesh,  may  effect  the  purgation  of  the  body,  but 
cannot  remove  that  moral  pollution  of  the  soul,  which 
is  the  consequence  of  sin.  As  used  in  this  ordinance 
it  is  only  an  external  sign.  That,  of  which  it  is  the 
significant  emblem,  is  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ, 
.which  cleanseth  from  all  sin.  The  penalty  connect- 
ed with  the  violation  of  the  divine  law,  by  the  great 
Lawgiver,  is  death.  "  In  the  day  thou  eatest  there- 
of thou  shalt  surely  die."  "  The  wages  of  sin  is 
death."  Asa  sinner,  therefore,  man  stands  exposed 
to  the  execution  of  the  penalty  of  the  violated  law. 
And  had  it  been  his  pleasure,  the  Sovereign  Ruler 
of  the  universe  might  have  glorified  his  justice,  in 
executing  the  fearful  sentence  of  the  law  upon  every 
son  and  daughter  of  Adam.  But  God,  who  is  rich 
in  mercy  for  his  great  love  wherewith  he  loved  us, 
provided  a  Redeemer,  in  the  person  of  his  own  Son. 
He  spared  not  his  own  Son,  but  delivered  him  up  for 
us  all.  In  accordance  with  his  own  voluntary  en- 
gagement, though  he  was  rich,  yet  for  our  sakes  he 
became  poor,  that  through  his  poverty  we  might  be 
rich.  And  appearing  in  the  character  of  our  sub- 
stitute, and  bearing  our  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the 
tree,  he  hath  redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of  the  law, 
being  made  a  curse  for  us.  As  death  is  the  wages 
of  sin,  therefore  without  the  shedding  of  blood,  there 
is  no  remission.  Accordingly,  he  died  for  our  sins, 
the  just  for  the  unjust,  that  he  might  bring  us  unto 
^God.  And  of  his  atonino;  blood  the  water  of  baptism 
is  the  divinely  appointed  symbol.  As  water  cleanses 
the  body,  so  we  are  taught  in  baptism  that  Jesus 
Christ,  by  the  shedding  of  his  blood;  or  in  other 
words,  by  his  death,  hath  made  expiation  for  our 
2 


14      ,  LECTURKS    ON    BAPTISM. 

srn  ;  and  that  by  laith  in  his  atonement,  the  chief  of 
sinners  may  obtain  pardon,  and  be  brought  to  the 
possession  of  that  inheritance  which  is  incorruptible, 
undefiled,  and  that  fadeth  not  away. 

By  the  appointment  of  baptism  with  water,  then, 
we  have  presented  to  our  view,  in  a  significant  figure, 
that  most  interesting  truth,  that  there  is  forgiveness 
with  God.  Here  we  see  with  our  eyes  the  evidence 
of  the  fact,  that  a  fountain  has  been  opened  for  sin 
and  for  uncleanness,  and  that  God  has  graciously 
made  ample  provision  for  the  removal  of  our  guilt. 
And  hence,  in  the  scriptures,  the  reception  of  bap- 
tism is  urged  by  this  consideration,  that  in  it  there 
is  an  exhibition  of  the  blessing  of  remission  of  sin. 
"  Repent,"  said  Peter,  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  to 
the  assembled  multitude,  who,  under  the  power  of 
conviction,  inquired,  "What  must  we  do?"  "Re- 
pent and  be  baptized,  every  one  of  you,  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord  Jesus, ybr  the  remission  of  sins.''''  And 
when  Saul  of  Tarsus  obtained  a  proper  sight  of  his 
sin,  and  was  brought  an  humble  suppliant  to  the  feet 
of  Jesus,  Ananias  is  directed  to  say  to  him,  "Arise 
and  be  baptized,  and  wash  away  thy  sins.^^ 

4.  In  the  ordinance  of  baptism  we  are  akso  taught 
the  doctrine  of  regeneration  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 
That  such  is  our  spiritual  condition  before  God,  as 
sinful,  fallen  creatures,  that  a  change  of  nature  must 
be  experienced  before  we  can  serve  God  acceptably 
here  or  enjoy  him  hereafter,  is  very  clearly  taught 
in  the  oracles  of  truth.  "  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto 
thee,"  is  the  declaration  of  our  Lord  to  Nicodemus, 
"  except  a  man  be  born  again  he  cannot  see  the 
kingdom  of  God."  This  change  is  a  moral  renova- 
tion of  our  nature,  so  thorough,  that  he  who,  is  the 
subject  of  it  is  a  ?ieiv  creatvre.     "  If  any  man  be  in 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  15 

Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature;  old  things  are  passed 
away;  behold,  all  things  are  become  new."*  Pre- 
vious to  this  change,  the  sinner  is  dead  in  trespasses 
and  sins ;  he  walks  according  to  the  course  of  this 
world,  according  to  the  prince  of  the  power  of  the 
air,  the  spirit  that  now  worketh  in  the  children  of 
disobedience  ;  he  has  his  conversation  in  the  lusts  of 
the  flesh,  fulfilling  the  desires  of  the  flesh  and  of  the- 
mind,  the  end  of  which  things  is  death.  But,  in  re^ 
generation,  he  passes  from  death  unto  life ;  he  is 
created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works  ;  and  being 
thus  made  free  from  sin,  and  having  become  a  ser- 
vant unto  God,  his  fruit  is  unto  holiness  and  the  end 
is  everlasting  life.  A  work  of  such  a  nature,  cannot 
be  the  result  of  mere  human  agency,  but  must  be  ef- 
fected by  the  power  of  God.  And,  accordingly,  we 
are  informed,  that  "  God,  who  is  rich  in  mercy,  for 
his  great  love  wherewith  he  loved  us,  even  when  we 
were  dead  in  sins,  hath  quickened  us  together  with 
Christ. "t  And  in  the  ordinance  of  baptism,  we  are 
taught  that  this  is  peculiarly  the  work  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  Hence,  our  Lord  declares,  "  Except  a  man 
be  born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit,  he  cannot  enter 
into  the  kingdom  of  God."  Here  a  distinction  is 
drawn  betwixt  the  external  rite  of  baptism,  and  the 
internal  change  of  which  it  is  significant.  To  be 
born  of  water  is,  to  receive  the  outward  sign  of  bap- 
tism ;  to  be  born  of  the  Spirit,  is  to  experience  that 
change  of  heart  which  is  effected  by  the  agency  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  the  nature  and  necessity  of  which 
are  represented  by  baptism  with  water.  To  the 
same  distinction  does  the  apostle  appear  to  refer^ 
when  he  says,  "According  to  his  mercy  he  saved  us, 

*  2  Cor.  5:17.  f  Eph.  2  :  4,  5. 


16  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

by  the  washing  of  regeneration  and  renewing  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  which  he  shed  on  us  abundantly, 
through  Jesus  Christ  our  Saviour."*  In  the  ex- 
pression, the  washing  of  regeneration,  there  seems 
manifestly  to  be  an  allusion  to  the  application  of 
water  in  baptism.  This  is  the  external  sign  of 
that  change  which  takes  place  in  the  soul  in  regene- 
ration; which  is  effected  by  the  renewing  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  The  Holy  Spirit,  by  whom  we  are 
renewed,  the  apostle  adds,  God  hath  poured  out  on 
us  abundantly  through  Jesus  Christ.  As  we  have 
already  seen,  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  his  atoning 
blood,  redeemed  his  people  from  death  and  procured 
for  them  eternal  life.  And  it  is  the  peculiar  work 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  take  of  those  gifts  which  are 
the  purchase  of  the  Redeemer's  death  and  communi- 
cate them  to  those  who  are  the  heirs'  of  salvation. 
And  in  the  ordinance  of  baptism,  we  have,  in  a 
figure,  a  representation  of  the  agency  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  in  applying  the  benefits  of  Christ's  death,  in 
the  regeneration  of  those  who  are  the  objects  of  his 
love. 

In  this  interesting  ordinance,  then,  we  have  a 
summary  exhibition  of  the  fundamental  doctrines  of 
the  gospel.  Under  a  striking  figure  we  have  pre- 
sented to  our  view,  the  mournful  truth  that  our  sins 
have  separated  between  God  and  our  souls,  and 
have  hid  his  face  from  us,  and  consequently,  that 
except  we  be  born  again,  we  cannot  see  the  kingdom 
of  God.  But  truly  deplorable  as  is  our  condition, 
we  see  in  this  ordinance  that  there  is  hope  in  Israel 
concerning  this  thing.  God  so  loved  the  world,  that 
he  gave  liis  only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  be- 

"  Titus,  3  :  f),  6. 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  17 

lieveth  in  him  should  not  perish  but  have  everlasting 
life.  And  in  connection  with  the  love  of  the  Father, 
manifested  in  the  gift  of  his  Son,  we  have  an  exhibi- 
tion of  the  grace  of  Jesus  Christ  and  of  the  efficacy 
of  his  atoning  blood,  which  cleanseth  from  all  sin.^ 
And  while  we  are  called  to  mourn  over  the  aliena- 
tion of  our  hearts  from  God,  and  the  moral  pollution 
of  our  nature,  which  disqualifies  us  for  the  enjoy- 
ment of  fellowship  with  God,  we  also  behold  the 
goodness  and  condescension  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  by 
whose  agency  we  are  made  partakers  of  a  new  na- 
ture and  become  the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  Lord 
Almighty.  In  the  name  of  this  triune  God,  we  are 
baptized;  to  his  service  we  are  solemnly  dedicated; 
and  to  him  we  join  ourselves  in  a  perpetual  covenant 
that  shall  not  be  forgotten. 

II.  What  is  the  nature  of  the  profession  which  is 
made  in  the  reception  of  baptism?  It  is  the  more 
important  that  we  inquire  into  this  matter,  since  it  is 
to  be  apprehended  that  it  is  overlooked  by  many, 
both  of  those  who  receive  baptism  themselves  and  of 
those  who,  in  this  ordinance,  dedicate  their  children 
to  God.     I  remark, 

1.  There  is  a  public  profession  of  our  faith  in 
those  great  doctrines  which  are  taught  in  this  ordi- 
nance. To  submit  to  this  rite,  and  yet  to  disregard 
or  to  reject  the  important  truths  of  which  it  is  signi- 
ficant, and  which  it  is  designed  to  confirm,  would 
be  to  incur  the  guilt  of  profaning  a  holy  ordinance. 
The  leading  doctrines  of  Christianity,  presented  to 
our  view  in  the  language  which  our  Lord  employed 
in  the  institution  of  baptism,  and,  figuratively,  by 
the  external  symbol  of  water,  which,  in  this  ordi- 
nance, is  significant  of  spiritual  things,  have  been 
2* 


X8  LECTltRKS    ON    BAPTISM. 

exhibited  in  the  preceding  part  of  this  lecture.  In 
the  reception  of  baptism,  then,  we  make  a  public 
declaration  of  our  faith  in  the  doctrine  of  a  trinity 
of  persons  in  the  unity  of  the  Godhead  ;  we  declare 
that  we  believe  that  there  is  one  God  and  Father, 
who  spared  not  his  own  Son,  but  delivered  him  up 
for  us  all ;  that  there  is  one  Divine  Redeemer,  who 
laid  down  his  life  a  ransom  for  us ;  and  that  there  is 
one  Divine  Spirit,  by  whoso  agency  we  are  created 
anew  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works.  We  also 
declare  our  belief  of  the  truth,  that  we  are  naturally 
dead  in  trespasses  and  in  sins,  and,  consequently, 
that  except  we  experience  the  washing  of  regenera- 
tion and*  the  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  we  cannot 
see  the  kingdom  of  God. 

2.  In  the  reception  of  baptism,  we  profess  our 
subjection  to  the  authority  of  God  and  our  dedication 
to  his  service.  Are  we  baptized  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost?  Then, 
in  this  act  of  religious  worship,  we  make  a  solemn 
surrender  of  ourselves  to  him  as  our  God,  who  has 
a  just  claim  to  our  supreme  regard,  and  promise  to 
love  and  serve  him  faithfully.  Baptized  in  the  name 
of  the  Father,  we  acknowledge  God  as  our  Father, 
and  promise  to  give  to  him  the  love  and  the  homage 
of  dutiful  and  obedient  children.  Baptized  in  the 
name  of  the  Son,  we  profess  our  faith  in  Jesus 
Christ  as  our  only  Saviour,  confess  that  we  are 
wretched,  and  miserable,  and  poor,  and  blind,  and 
naked,  and  nnite  with  the  apostle  in  the  declaration, 
"  Yea,  doubtless,  I  count  all  things  but  loss  for  the 
excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus  my 
Lord."  Baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
we   confess   that  we   are,  by  nature,  children   of 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  19 

wrath,  even  as  others,  and  must,  consequently,  be 
born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit,  before  we  can  see 
the  kingdom  of  God.  And  we  solemnly  avouch  the 
Lord  to  be  our  God,  and  to  walk  in  his  ways,  and 
to  keep  his  statutes  and  his  commandments,  and  his 
judgments,  and  to  hearken  to  his  voice. 

3.  In  baptism,  we  profess  that  we  are  under  obli- 
gations to  die  unto  sin,  and  to  live  unto  God. 
"  Know  ye  not,"  says  the  apostle,  "  that  so  many 
of  us  as  were  baptized  into  Jesus  Christ,  were  bap- 
tized into  his  death  1"  The  apostle  had  just  before 
signified  that  it  was  not  possible  for  the  christian  to 
live  in  sin.  How  shall  we,  who  are  dead  to  sin, 
live  any  longer  therein?  The  christian  is  dead  to 
sin,  and  this  is  signified  by  baptism.  In  this  ordi- 
nance we  are  baptized  into  the  death  of  Christ. 
The  water  of  baptism  is  a  significant  emblem  of  that 
atoning  blood  which  was  shed,  when  he  laid  down 
his  life  a  ransom  for  us.  The  end  for  which  he  of- 
fered himself  a  sacrifice  unto  God  was,  that  he  might 
save  his  people  from  their  sins.  And  in  baptism 
our  interest  in  the  benefits  of  his  death  is  signified. 
As  he  died  for  sin,  so,  in  baptism,  we  declare  that 
we  are  dead  to  sin  ;  that  our  old  man  is  crucified 
with  Christ,  that  the  body  of  sin  might  be  destroyed, 
that  henceforth  we  should  not  serve  sin. 

Tn  conclusion,  my  christian  brethren,  you  see 
that  the  profession  which  we  make  in  this  holy  or- 
dinance, is  one  of  a  most  solemn  and  interesting 
character.  We  bear  a  public  testimony  to  the 
great  doctrines  of  Christianity.  We  express  our 
gratitude  to  God,  who  hath  called  us  out  of  dark- 
ness into  his  marvellous  light,  and  hath  made  us 
partakers  of  a  good   hope  through  grace.     And  we 


20  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

say  to  all  around  us,  that  we  voluntarily  take  the 
yoke  of  Christ  upon  us,  and  that  we  are  resolved, 
through  the  grace  of  God,  to  walk  in  all  the  com- 
mandments and  ordinances  of  the  Lord  blameless. 
Though  we  were  once  strangers  and  foreigners,  now 
we  are  fellow-citizens  with  the  saints  and  of  the 
household  of  God.  We  publicly  declare,  that  we 
are  not  our  own,  but  that  we  belong  to  Him  who  hath 
redeemed  us  to  God  by  his  blood;  and  that,  let  others 
do  as  they  may,  our  purpose  is  fixed,  that  we  will 
serve  the  Lord. 


LECTURE    II. 


THE    PROrER    SUBJECTS    OF    BAPTISM, 

Having  considered  the  meaning  of  the  ordinance, 
and  the  nature  of  the  profession  which  is  made  in 
the  reception  of  it,  our  next  inquiry  is,  Who  are  the 
proper  subjects  of  baptism  ?     To  this  inquiry  I   re- 

ply  — 

1.  All  those  who  make  a  credible  profession  of 
their  faith  in  Christ,  are  to  be  regarded  by  the 
church  as  having  a  right  to  baptism.  Before  men 
can  be  received  into  the  household  of  faith,  and  re^ 
cognized  as  the  disciples  of  Christ,  they  must  be  in- 
structed in  the  principles  of  Christianity.  And  when 
an  individual  gives  such  evidence  of  his  knowledge 
of  the  way  of  salvation  and  of  his  experience  of  the 
power  of  religion  in  his  own  heart,  as  will  warrant 
the  church  to  conclude,  in  the  judgment  of  charity, 
that  he  is  a  true  believer  in  Christ,  he  has  a  right  to 
christian  baptism.  The  church,  it  is  true,  cannot 
look  into  the  heart,  and  therefore  she  is  liable  to  be 
deceived  in  the  judgment  which  she  forms  of  the 
character  of  those  who  desire  to  enjoy  her  distin- 
guishing privileges.  Still  she  is  responsible  to  her 
Lord  for  the  exercise  of  her  authority.  And  to  re- 
ceive into  her  fellowship,  by  baptism,  those  whose 
conduct  testifies  that  they  are  in  a  state  of  impeni- 
tency,  would  be  a  criminal  prostitution  of  a  sacred 
ordinance. 

And  here  let  me  request  you  particularly  to  ob- 
serve, that  with  regard  to  the  necessity  of  faith,  as 


22  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

a  qualification  for  baptism,  in  so  far  as  all  who  are 
capable  of  exercising  faith  are  concerned,  there  is  no 
dispute.  It  is  the  more  necessary  that  I  should  di- 
rect your  attention  to  this  point,  because,  from  the 
language  often  employed  by  baptists,  it  might  be 
supposed  that  they  are  singular  in  requiring  faith 
preparatory  to  baptism.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  hear 
them  say,  that  they  hold  the  doctrine  of  "  Believer 
baptism  ;"  as  though  they  were  peculiar  in  requiring 
evidence  of  a  man's  faith  previous  to  baptism.  In 
the  case  of  adults,  who  are  brought  out  of  the  world 
and  introduced  into  the  church,  we  believe,  accord- 
ing to  the  scriptures,  that  they  must  be  carefully  in- 
structed in  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  and  that  they 
must  give  satisfactory  evidence  of  their  faith  in 
Christ,  before  they  can,  with  propriety,  be  admitted 
to  membership  in  the  church  by  baptism.  In  all 
such  cases,  we  say  to  him  who  desires  baptism,  as 
Philip  said  to  the  Ethiopian  eunuch,  "  ii^  thou  be- 
lievest  with  all  thine  heart,  thou  mayest."  It  is, 
therefore,  unnecessary  labor,  on  the  part  of  our  bap- 
tist brethren,  to  collect  quotations  from  the  scrip- 
tures to  prove  the  necessity  of  faith  and  repentance 
previous  to  baptism.  Such  scriptural  quotations 
prove  nothing  in  opposition  to  the  doctrine  which 
we  have  received,  but  establish  a  principle  which  we 
hold  as  firmly,  and  to  which  we  attach  as  much  im* 
portance  as  they  do  themselves.  Is  it  then  ingenu- 
ous, or  does  it  comport  with  that  simplicity  which  is 
the  ornament  of  the  christian  character,  to  adduce 
the  multiplied  passages  of  scripture,  which  speak  of 
teaching,  of  faith  and  of  repentance,  in  connection 
with  baptism,  and  then  claim  these  as  proofs  of  the 
point  in  dispute?  All  these  texts,  which  are  very 
numerous,  establish  conclusively  a   doctrine  which 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  23 

we  hold  in  common  with  themselves ;  but  they  de- 
cide nothing  at  all  in  regard  to  the  matter  in  contro- 
versy. We  do  not  call  for  proof  that  adults  are  to 
be  taught,  and  that  they  miist  give  evidence  that 
they  are  believers,  before  they  can  be  admitted  to 
baptism.  All  this  the  scriptures  clearly  teach,  and 
we  most  firmly  believe. 

How  preposterous,  then,  is  it  for  our  friends  to 
claim  some  hundred  texts  of  this  character,  as  though 
they  were  conclusive  on  their  side  of  the  controver- 
sy, when,  in  reality,  they  establish  simply  that  which 
no  one  denies.  But  when  they  have  labored  to  es- 
tablish a  position,  of  the  correctness  of  which  no  one 
concerned  in  the  present  controversy  needs  proof, 
that  is,  that  adults  are  first  to  be  instructed  in  the 
principles  of  the  gospel  before  they  can,  with  pro- 
priety, be  baptized  ;  and  then  infer,  from  premises 
which  we  admit  to  be  solid,  that  the  infants  of  be- 
lievers have  no  right  to  baptism  ;  it  is  to  the  infer- 
ence that  we  object.  Between  the  premises  and  the 
conclusion  there  is  an  impassable  gulf.  The  conclu- 
sion embraces  a  class  of  persons  not  included  in  the 
premises.  The  distinctive  position  of  our  brethren 
is,  that  none  except  those  who  are  capable  of  being 
taught,  and  who  believe  in  Christ,  are  proper  sub- 
jects of  baptism.  But  not  one  of  all  the  numerous 
texts  to  which  they  refer,  establish  such  a  conclusion. 
They  prove  simply  what  all  admit,  that  those  who 
liave  attained  to  the  age  of  reflection,  who  are  the 
only  persons  that  can  be  taught,  must  first  be  in- 
structed, and  give  evidence  of  their  faith,  before  they 
can  have  a  right  to  baptism. 

But  will  any  one  maintain  that  the  declaration  of 
our  Lord,  "  He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be 
saved,"  authorizes  the  conclusion  that  none  except 


24  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

such  as  are  capable  of  believing  are  proper  subjects 
of  baptism,  and  that,  therefore,  infants  are  excluded  l 
I  reply,  that  such  a  conclusion  is  not  legitimate  ;  and 
should  we  adopt  this  principle  of  reasoning,  it  would 
lead  to  consequences  of  the  most  revolting  character. 
Let  us  subject  it  to  the  test  of  examination.     The 
language  of  our  Lord  is,  "  He  that  believeth  and  is 
baptized,  shall  be  saved."     The  inference  which  the 
baptist  draws  from  this  language  is,  that  since  in- 
fants cannot  believe,  therefore,  they  should   not  be 
baptized.     If  this  inference  is  valid,  let  us  see  to 
what  results  it  will   lead.      Our    Lord  further  de- 
clares, "  he  that  believeth  not  shall    be  damned." 
Apply  the  mode  of  reasoning  which  we  are  examin- 
ing, to  this  declaration.     Infants  are  not  capable  of 
believing;  therefore  all  infants  shall  be  damned!     I 
am  aware  that  our  brethren  would  shudder  at  the 
thought  of  adopting  such  an  impious  conclusion.     I 
am  far  from  imputing  to  them  a  sentiment  so  abhor- 
rent.    But  I  do  most  explicitly  charge  this  conclu- 
sion to  the  account  of  that  inconsequential  mode  of 
reasoning,  by  which  they  would  cut  off  our  children 
from  an  interest  in  the  seg,l  of  God's  covenant. 

That  it  may  more  fully  appear,  that  the  method 
of  reasoning  which  is  employed  for  the  purpose  of 
making  this  declaration  of  our  Lord  exclude  infants 
from  a  right  to  baptism,  is  not  conclusive,  but  falla- 
cious, let  us  try  it  in  another  case.  In  his  epistle  to 
the  Thessalonians,  Paul,  the  apostle,  says,  "  When 
we  were  with  you,  this  we  commanded  you,  that  if 
any  would  not  work,  neither  should  he  eat."*  Now 
suppose  we  should  reason  from  this  passage  of 
scripture,  precisely  in   the    same    manner    as    our 

2  Thessalonians,  3:10. 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  25 

friends  would  argue,  in  opposition  to  the  right  of 
infant  baptisnrij  from  the  declaration  of  our  Lord,  to 
which  we  have  referred,  to  what  conclusion  should 
we  be  conducted  ?  We  might  reason  thus  :  infants 
cannot  work;  therefore,  they  may  not  eat !  And, 
according  to  this  manner  of  reasoning,  the  authority 
of  the  apostle  might  be  pleaded  in  support  of  the 
monstrous  doctrine,  that  infants  who  cannot  labor 
for  a  subsistence  must  be  left  to  starve. 

But,  perhaps,  some  one  will  say,  that  common 
sense  would  teach  us  that  the  apostle  has  reference 
to  the  case  of  adults,  who  are  capable  of  laboring. 
I  admit  it.  And  the  same  instructer  would  teach 
us,  that  when  our  Lord  speaks  of  believing,  in 
connection  with  being  baptized,  he  has  reference 
to  those  who  are  capable  of  believing.  The  plain 
and  obvious  truth  is,  that  nehher  the  declaration  of 
our  Lord  nor  that  of  the  apostle,  has  any  reference 
to  the  case  of  infants,  and,  consequently,  determines 
nothing  in  relation  to  them.  Such  expressions  as 
these,  "He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized;"  "Repent 
and  be  baptized;"  it  is  admitted,  do  not  afford  any 
evidence  of  the  right  of  infant  baptism  ;  and  it  is 
equally  plain,  that  they  furnish  no  argument  against 
it.  They  say  nothing  whatever  in  relation  to  infants. 
And,  therefore,  from  other  parts  of  the  oracles  of 
truth,  which  relate  to  the  case  of  infants,  we  must 
learn  what  is  the  will  of  God  respecting  them. 

It  is,  then,  perfectly  nugatory,  on  the  part  of  our 
brethren,  to  refer  us  to  the  commission  given  to  the 
apostles,  "  Go,  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them," 
as  though  this  furnished  an  argument  agamst  the 
doctrine  which  we  hold.  We  maintain,  not  less 
firmly  than  they,  that  men  must  be  taught,  and 
must  experience  the  power  of  the  truth,  before  they 
3 


26  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

are  baptized.  And  we  appeal  to  our  practice  as 
evidence,  that  we  are  not  less  careful  in  attending 
to  this  matter  than  they  are  themselves.  It  throws 
no  difficulty  in  our  way  to  tell  us,  that  the  apostles 
taught  men  to  "  repent  and  be  baptized  ;"  that  faith 
in  Christ  was  required  of  the  Ethiopian  eunuch,  of 
the  Philippian  jailer,  of  Lydia  and  others,  before 
they  were  baptized^  In  similar  circumstances  we 
teach  and  require  the  same.  We  exhort  men  to 
believe  and  turr?  to  God ;  and  we  require  evidence 
of  their  faith  ^nd  repentance  as  a  qualification  for 
baptism.  But  what  have  these  and  similar  examples, 
recorded  in  scripture,  to  do  with  the  question  rela- 
tive to  the  right  of  infants?  They  decide  nothing 
for  nor  against  the  right  of  infants,  because  they 
have  no  reference  to  the  case  of  infants.  And  there- 
fore, as  every  thing  is  not  taught  in  any  one  par- 
ticular portion  of  sacred  scripture,  vv€  must  learn 
from  other  parts  of  the  Bible,  where  the  divine  will, 
on  this  subject,  is  revealed,  what  provision  the  God 
of  love  and  grace  has  made  for  our  offspring. 

Let  me  then  request  you  particularly,  to  bear  in 
mind,  that,  with  regard  to  adults,  there  is  no  dispute. 
That  they  must  believ-e,  before  they  can  have  a  right 
to  baptism,  all  agree.  The  point  at  issue  is  simply 
this :  have  the  infants  of  believers  a  right  to  christian 
baptism?  This  is  the  question;  and  here  our  breth- 
ren deny,  and  we  affirm.  And  in  support  of  the 
affirmative, 

I.  My  first  argument  is  drawn  from  the  fact,  that 
the  infants  of  believers  were,  under  the  former  dis- 
pensation, constituted  members  of  the  visible  church 
of  God.  That  there  was  a  visible  church  in  the 
world,  previous  to  the  introduction  of  the  gospel 
dispensation,  will  not  be  denied  by  any  with  whom 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  27 

we  are  concerned  in  the  present  controversy.  Of 
the  relation  between  God  and  his  church,  circum- 
cision was  the  appointed  sign.  As  an  evidence  that 
the  children  of  believers,  were  recognized  by  the 
God  of  Abraham,  as  belonging  to  his  church,  it  was 
the  divine  appointment  that  they  should  receive  the 
sign  of  circumcision.  The  conclusion  then  is,  that 
infants  are  still  members  of  the  visible  church  and 
entitled  to  the  appointed  sign  of  membership,  what- 
ever it  may  be,  unless  it  can  be  made  to  appear, 
that  God,  by  a  positive  enactment,  has  excluded 
them.  Baptism,  it  will  be  admitted,  is  now  the 
appointed  sign  of  connection  with  the  visible  church,- 
and,  consequently,  to  this  sign  the  infants  of  believ- 
ers have  aright.  If  any  one  should  deny  this  right, 
he  is  bound  to  show  that  God  has  cut  off  the  children 
of  his  people  from  his  church,  with  which  they  were 
once  connected,  and  has  recalled  a  distinguished 
grant,  which  he  once  conferred.  Let,  then,  authority 
be  produced  from  the  New  Testament,  to  show  that 
God  himself  has  dissolved  that  connection  between 
his  church  and  the  children  of  believers  which  he 
established.  But  not  only  cannot  such  authority  be 
produced,  but  the  very  supposition  that  such  is  the 
present  condition  of  the  children  of  believers,  would 
involve  the  absurdity,  that,  under  the  benignant 
reign  of  the  Prince  of  Peace,  the  privileges  of  the 
church,  instead  of  being  enlarged,  have  been,  in  a 
most  important  respect,  seriously  diminished. 

But,  for  your  further  satisfaction,  let  us  examine 
a  little  more  particularly  the  evidence  of  the  position 
that  the  infants  of  believers  were,  by  divine  appoint- 
ment, constituted   members   of  the  visible  church. 

At  a  time  when  the  earth  generally  was  overrun 
with  the  abominations  of  idolatry,  it  was  the  good 


28  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

pleasure  of  God,  to  give  to  Abraham  a  revelation  of 
his  will  and  to  establish  a  covenant  with  him.  This 
covenant  comprehended  not  only  temporal  favors, 
but  likewise  important  spiritual  blessings  and  privi- 
leges. Not  only  did  God  assure  the  patriarch  that 
he  would  make  of  him  a  great  nation,  and  that  his 
seed  should  inherit  the  land  of  Canaan,  but  he  more- 
over declared,  "  I  will  establish  my  covenant  between 
me  and  thee,  and  thy  seed  after  thee,  in  their  gene- 
rations, for  an  everlasting  covenant,  to  be  a  God 
unto  thee  and  to  thy  seed  after  thee."*  Here  is  a 
covenant  established  between  God  on  the  one  part, 
and  Abraham  and  his  seed  on  the  other.  The  seed 
of  Abraham,  here  spoken  of,  are  not  so  particularly 
his  natural  descendants,  as  true  believers  in  every 
age,  whether  they  be  Jews  or  Gentiles.  Accordingly 
the  apostle  declares,  that  Abraham  is  the  father  of 
"  all  them  that  believe,  though  they  be  not  circum- 
cised." And  further,  it  is  said,  "  To  the  end  that 
the  promise  might  be  sure  to  all  the  seed,  not  to 
that  only  which  is  of  the  law,  but  to  that,  also, 
which  is  of  the  faith  of  Abraham,  who  is  the  father 
of  us  all.  As  it  is  written,  I  have  made  thee  a 
father  of  many  nations. "f  It  is,  then,  perfectly 
plain,  that  the  seed  of  Abraham,  spoken  of  in  this 
covenant,  comprehend  all  true  believers  of  every 
age  and  nation.  And,  consequently,  the  promise, 
"  1  will  be  a  God  to  thee  and  thy  seed,"  is  just  as 
sure  to  the  believer  and  his  seed  now,  as  it  was 
originally  to  Abraham  and  his  natural  seed. 

By  this  covenant,  established  with  the  father  of 
the  faithful,  the  family  of  Abraham  were  separated 
from    the  world,  and  were    taken    into  a    peculiar 

*Gen.  17:7.  t  Rom.  4: 16,  17. 


tflCTVilE^    ON    BAPTIS3I.  29 

relation  to  God,  so  that  they  became  his  people  and 
he  became  their  God.  From  this  time,  down  to  the 
period  of  the  incarnation  and  death  of  Him  who  is 
the  desire  of  all  nations,  the  visible  church  was 
preserved  among  the  descendants  of  Abraham. 
They  constituted  a  society  separated  from  the  sur- 
rounding world,  whom  God  recognized  as  his  people 
and  to  whom  he  committed  the  lively  oracles  and 
the  ordinances  of  salvation.  With  reference  to  the 
distinction  conferred  upon  the  seed  of  Abraham,  the. 
royal  prophet  exclaims,  "  What  one  nation  in  the 
earth  is  like  thy  people  Israel ;  for  thy  people  Israel 
didst  thou  make  thine  own  people  for  ever,  and  thou, 
Lord,  becamest  their  God."* 

This  society,  distinguished  from  the  world  and 
taken  into  a  peculiar  relation  to  God,  is,  in  the  Old 
Testament,  more  commonly  designated  the  "con- 
gregation of  the  Lord,  and  in  the  New  Testament, 
the  "  church  of  God."  Of  this  ecclesiastical  com- 
munity, comprehending  God's  people,  infants  were, 
by  the  express  appointment  of  heaven,  constituted 
members.  According  to  the  tenor  of  the  covenant, 
established  with  him  who  is  the  Father  of  all  them 
that  believe,  God  declares,  "I  will  be  a  God  to  thee 
and  to  thy  seed  after  thee."  In  connection  with  the 
establishment  of  this  gracious  covenant  with  Abra- 
ham, God  was  pleased  to  appoint  a  visible  sign  or 
token  of  the  relation  into  which  he  and  his  seed 
were  taken.  The  divine  declaration  is,  "  This  is 
my  covenant,  which  ye  shall  keep,  between  me  and 
you  and  thy  seed  after  thee;  every  man  child  among 
you  shall  be  circumcised."  "  It  shall  be  a  token  of 
the  covenant  betwixt  me  and  you."f     Here  then  it 

»  1  Chron.  17  :  22.  t  Gen.  17  :  10, 11. 

3* 


30  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

is  plain,  that  the  infant  seed  of  Abrahan^i  were  taken 
into  a  peculiar  relation  to  God  as  their  God,  along 
with  their  father,  and  that,  by  divine  appointment, 
they  had  a  right  to  circumcision,  which  was  then 
the  sign  or  token  of  God's  covenant  with  his  people. 
And  from  this  time,  down  to  the  actual  appearance 
of  that  illustrious  seed  who  was  promised  to  Abra- 
ham, and  of  whom  it  is  said,  "In  thy  seed  shall  all 
the  nations  of  the  earth  be  blessed,"  we  find  among 
the  posterity  of  Abraham,  a  religious  community 
composed  of  those  who  acknowledged  God,  obeyed 
his  laws  and  worshiped  him  according  to  the  divine 
appomtment.  And  of  this  community,  which  was 
the  visible  church  of  God,  the  infants  of  God's  people 
were  members.  If,  then,  the  infants  of  believers 
were,  by  divine  appointment,  members  of  the  visible 
church  once,  and  had  a  right  to  the  appointed  sign 
of  membership,  the  conclusion  is  irresistible,  that 
they  still  enjoy  this  right,  unless  God,  who  at  first 
conferred  it,  has  thought  proper  to  deprive  them  of 
it.  If  he  has,  we  call  for  the  evidence.  It  is  a 
privilege  too  dear  to  our  hearts,  as  parents,  to  sur- 
render it  on  any  authority  short  of  that  which  is 
divine. 

But  let  it  for  a  moment  be  supposed,  that  this 
right  has  been  taken  away,  and  that,  under  the 
gospel  dispensation,  the  infants  of  God's  people  are 
cut  off  from  all  connection  with  his  church;  to  what 
result  would  this  supposition  lead?  Why,  plainly, 
this :  that  the  church  of  Christ,  instead  of  advancing, 
has,  by  the  coming  of  the  Messiah,  lost  a  most 
precious  privilege.  In  the  morning  of  her  existence, 
when  she  was  under  a  dispensation  of  shadows  and 
carnal  ordinances,  the  church  could  rejoice  in  the 
covenant  of  her  God,  which  assured  her,  "  1  will  bo 


LECTURES    ON    KAPTISM.  31 

•a  God  to  thee  and  to  thy  seed."  And  while  she  sat 
down  in  safety,  under  the  wings  of  the  divine 
Majesty,  it  was  her  comfort  to  know  that  her 
children  were  under  the  protection  of  the  God  of 
Abraham,  and  were  partakers  of  the  seal  of  his 
covenant.  But  now,  according  to  the  principle 
which  denies  the  right  of  infant  baptism,  since  the 
introduction  of  that  glorious  period  in  the  history  of 
the  church  which  many  prophets  and  righteous  men 
desired  to  see ;  that  time,  when  the  church  was 
taught  by  her  inspired  prophets  to  look  for  a  great 
increase  of  light,  and  enlargement  of  her  privileges, 
the  church  is  left  to  mourn  over  the  loss  which  her 
children  have  sustained,  by  being  cast  out  of  her 
pale,  and  excluded  from  all  interest  in  the  seal  of 
God's  covenant !  Can  this  be  a  principle  of  the 
bible  ?     Impossible! 

The  validity  of  the  conclusion  at  which  we  have 
arrived,  is  in  no  degree  impaired  by  the  fact,  that  a 
change  has  been  made  in  the  external  sign  of  the 
relation  between  God  and  his  church,  under  the 
gospel  dispensation.  He,  who,  at  first  apj)ointed 
circumcision  to  be  the  sign  of  his  covenant  with  his 
people  and  their  seed,  has  abolished  that  rite  and 
has  ordained  baptism  in  its  stead.  But  this  change 
in  the  sign  of  the  covenant,  argues  nothing  against 
the  interest  of  infants  in  it.  There  is,  evidently, 
nothing  in  the  rite  of  baptism  itself,  which  would 
render  its  application  to  infants  more  unsuitable 
than  the  application  of  circumcision.  Not  only  so, 
but  it  is  a  rite  vi'hich  is  more  correspondent  with  the 
milder  genius  of  the  gospel  dispensation.  The 
change  in  the  appointed  sign  of  God's  covenant  with 
his  church  is,  consequently,  such  an  one  as  we  are 
prepared   to   expect.     If,  therefore,  God's   covenant 


:]2  LECTURES    ON    BAI'TIS.M. 

with  his  church  still  abides;  it'  he  is  now  as  truly  as 
he  ever  Vvas,  our  God  and  the  God  of  our  seed,  our 
children  now  have  the  same  right  which  they  for- 
merly had,  to  the  external  sign  of  their  interest  in 
the  blessin«i!;s  of  his  covenant. 

And  while  the  argument  in  favor  of  the  right  of 
infants  to  baptism,  is  not  weakened  by  the  fact,  that 
a  change  has  been  made  in  the  external  sign  of  the 
covenant,  it  is  greatly  strengthened  by  the  considera- 
tion, that  whatever  change  may  have  taken  place,  as 
to  external  administration,  the  church  is  still  the 
same.  She  has  beeri  greatly  enlarged;  the  middle 
wall  formerly  existing  between  Jew  and  Gentile,  has 
been  broken  down;  and  some  change  has  been  made 
in  her  external  form,  and  in  the  ordinances  of  re- 
ligious worship  given  to  her  ;  but  still  the  church 
herself  exists  unchanged.  In  the  establishment  of 
this  position,  it  may  be  observed, 

(1.)  That  there  are  many  important  promises 
made  to  the  church,  under  the  former  dispensation, 
which  were  not  fulfilled  until  after  the  introduction 
of  the  gospel  dispensation.  If,  then,  the  identity  of 
the  church,  under  the  two  dispensations,  be  rejected, 
these  promises  must  have  failed  in  their  accomplish- 
ment. But  such  a  conclusion  no  christian  will 
admit.  Among  the  numerous  examples  which 
might  be  adduced,  the  following  deserve  attention: 
Zion,  the  church  of  God,  is  comforted  by  the  assu- 
rance, "The  glory  of  the  Lord  shall  arise  upon  thee, 
and  his  glory  shall  be  seen  upon  thee.  And  the 
Gentiles  shall  come  to  thy  light,  and  kings  to  the 
brightness  of  thy  rising.  The  abundance  of  the 
sea  shall  be  converted  unto  thee,  and  the  forces  of 
the   Gentiles   shall   come  unto  thee."*     It   is  here 

*  Isaiah,  60  :  3,  5. 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  33 

promised  to  the  church,  that  her  numbers  should  be 
greatly  increased  by  the  accession  of  the  Gentiles. 
But  this  promise  was  not  fulfilled  until  the  Holy 
Spirit  was  poured  out  from  on  high,  and  the  gospel 
was  preached  with  success  among  the  Gentile 
nations.  In  truth,  it  is  only  in  the  progress  of  ful- 
filment at  the  present  time.  And  hence,  it  is  mani- 
fest that  the  church,  now  in  existence,  however 
much  she  may  have  been  enlarged  by  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  Gentiles,  is,  nevertheless,  the  same 
identical  society  to  which  the  promise  was  originally 
made. 

(2.)  The  same  conclusion  is  confirmed,  by  the 
language  which  the  apostle  employs,  in  describing 
the  excision  of  the  unbelieving  Jews,  and  the  conse- 
quent introduction  into  the  church  of  the  believing 
Gentiles.  "  If  some  of  the  branches  be  broken  off, 
and  thou  being  a  wild  olive  tree,  wert  grafted  in 
among  them,  and  with  them  partakest  of  the  root 
and  fatness  of  the  olive  tree,  boast  not  against  the 
branches."*  In  this  passage  of  scripture,  the  Jewish 
church  is  represented  by  the  similitude  of  a  good 
olive  tree,  while  the  Gentiles  are  compared  to  a  wild 
olive  tree.  The  unbelieving  Jews,  who  rejected  the 
Messiah  promised  to  the  fathers,  and  were  conse- 
quently excluded  from  the  privileges  of  the  visible 
church,  are  described  as  unfruitful  branches  which 
were  broken  off  from  the  good  olive  tree.  The 
olive  tree  was  not,  however,  destroyed.  Some  of 
the  branches,  only,  were  broken  off.  And  while 
the  tree  was  deprived  of  some  of  its  natural  branches, 
many  of  the  Gentiles,  who  are  represented  by  the 
similitude  of  a  wild  olive  tree,  believed   in   Christ, 

*  Romans,  11:17. 


34  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

and  were  grafted  into  the  good  olive  tree.  When, 
therefore,  the  gospel  was  preached  with  efficacy 
among  the  Gentiles,  and  many  of  them  turned  from 
dumb  idols  to  serve  the  living  God,  and  became 
members  of  the  household  of  faith,  there  was  no 
new  church  established.  They  who  had  not  been  the 
people  of  God,  now  became  his  people ;  they  who 
were  once  strangers  and  foreigners,  now  became 
fellow-heirs,  and  of  the  same  body,  and  partakers  of 
his  promise  in  Christ  by  the  gospel. 

But  what  was  the  fact  in  relation  to  the  Jews, 
who  are  the  natural  branches,  before  they  were 
broken  off?  Both  they  and  their  children  were 
connected  with  the  church  of  God.  And  when  the 
Gentiles  were  introduced  into  the  church,  in  the 
room  of  the  unbelieving  Jews,  who  were  cast  out, 
think  you  that  their  children  were  denied  that 
important  privilege,  which  the  offspring  of  the  Jews 
had  previously  enjoyed  ?  When  these  branches 
were  taken  from  their  wild  stock,  and  grafted  into 
the  good  olive  tree,  do  you  suppose  that  they  were 
stripped  of  their  tender  buds?  No!  it  cannot  be. 
But,  as  under  the  former  dispensation,  when  a  Gen- 
tile parent  renounced  idolatry,  and  embraced  the 
religion  of  the  God  of  Abraham,  he  and  his  offspring 
were  admitted  into  the  church  by  circumcision  ;  so 
now,  the  token  of  God's  covenant  being  changed, 
when  he  makes  a  profession  of  his  faitii  in  Christ, 
he  and  his  Qhildren  are  received  into  the  same 
church  by  baptism. 

But  the  apostle  informs  us,  that  at  some  future 
time,  the  descendants  of  Abraham,  shall  again  be 
grafted  into  their  own  good  olive,  from  which  the 
mass  of  the  nation  had,  for  their  unbelief,  been 
broken   off.     "And   they  also,  if  they  abide   not   in 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  35 

unbelief,  shall  be  grafted  in,  for  God  is  able  to  graft 
them  in  again."  "  Blindness,  in  part,  is  happened 
unto  Israel,  until  the  fulness  of  the  Gentiles  be  come 
in,  and  so  all  Israel  shall  be  saved."*  It  is,  then,  a 
pleasing  truth,  that  there  is  yet  mercy  in  store  for 
the  Jewish  nation.  At  some  future  period,  that 
blindness,  which  has  fallen  upon  the  mass  of  the 
nation,  shall  be  removed,  and,  in  the  figurative  lan- 
guage of  the  apostle,  "  the  branches  which  were 
broken  otF,  shall  again  be  grafted  into  their  own 
olive  tree."  And  when  these  long  lost  sons  of 
Abraham,  shall  be  converted  to  the  faith  of  the 
gospel,  and  shall  embrace  the  Messiah  whom  their 
fathers  rejected,  and  shall  be  re-admitted  into  that 
one  body  composed  of  Jews  and  Gentiles,  are  they 
introduced  into  a  new  church  ?  Nothing  like  it ! 
They  are  again  grafted  into  their  own  good  olive 
tree ;  or,  in  plain  language^  they  are  re-admitted 
into  the  same  church  from  which  their  unbelieving 
ancestors  had  been  excluded.  The  church,  under 
the  gospel,  is  then  the  same  society  which  existed 
in  the  days  of  Abraham,  though  greatly  enlarged, 
and  as  to  her  external  form,  considerably  changed. 
What,  then,  shall  be  the  condition  of  the  church, 
when  the  Deliverer  shall  come  out  of  Zion  and  shall 
turn  away  ungodliness  from  Jacob?  When  the 
posterity  of  Abraham,  who  are  beloved  for  the 
fathers'  sakes,  shall  again  be  brought  into  the 
church,  what  shall  be  the  fate  of  their  little  ones? 
In  the  covenant  established  with  their  venerable 
ancestor,  they  were  regarded  with  favor,  and  were 
jointly  with  their  parents  partakers  of  the  sign  of 
God's  covenant.     And  what  is  their  condition  under 

*  Romans,  11  :  23—26. 


36  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

the  gracious  and  benignant  dispensation  of  the 
gospel?  Is  the  God  of  Abraham  no  longer  the  God 
of  his  people's  seed  ?  Are  the  children  of  believers 
entirely  overlooked  by  the  gospel,  and  left  with  the 
world  which  lieth  in  wickedness?  Think  you,  that 
the  Jews  could  ever  be  persuaded  to  come  into  the 
church  on  such  terms?  In  the  covenant  made  with 
their  father  Abraham,  God  had  not  only  taken  the 
parent,  but  likewise  his  offspring,  into  a  special 
relation  to  himself  as  his  people,  and  had  appointed 
a  sign  of  this  relation,  of  which  the  parent  and  his 
children  were  jointly  partakers.  And  the  sacred 
writings,  every  where  authorized  the  Jews  to  expect, 
under  the  reign  of  Messiah,  a  great  enlargement  of 
their  privileges.  And  is  this  the  way  in  which  their 
privileges  were  to  be  enlarged?  Were  their  children 
to  be  cut  off  from  all  connection  with  the  visible 
church?  No!  It  cannot  be.  " They  are  the  seed 
of  the  blessed  of  the  Lord,  and  their  offspring  with 
them."  And  when  the  veil  of  unbelief  shall  be  re» 
moved  from  their  hearts,  and  they  shall  come  and 
take  upon  them  the  yoke  of  Christ,  by  receiving 
baptism,  they  shall  not  be  subjected  to  the  painful 
necessity  of  leaving  their  children  behind  them;  for 
he  who  said  to  Abraham,  "I  will  be  a  God  to  thee 
and  to  thy  seed  after  thee,"  says  to  all  under  the 
gospel  dispensation,  "  The  promise  is  to  you  and 
to  your  children." 

But  it  may  be  inquired,  what  connection  has  cir- 
cumcision with  a  controversy  relative  to  christian 
baptism?  I  reply,  the  connection  between  the  two 
subjects  is  not  more  manifest  than  it  is  important. 
We  are  contending  not  for  words  or  names,  but  for 
principles.  We  know  that  the  children  of  believers 
were  once  connected  with  the  church   of  God,  and 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTIS31.  37 

were  interested  in  the  sign  of  God's  covenant  with 
his  people.  Circumcision,  under  the  former  dispen- 
sation, was  that  sign.  From  the  days  of  Abraham 
until  the  introduction  of  the  gospel  dispensation, 
when  any  one  renounced  his  connection  with  the 
unbelieving  world,  and  embraced  the  religion  of  the 
God  of  Abraham,  the  God  of  Abraham  became  his 
God,  and  he  received  circumcision,  as  a  token  of  his 
new  relation  to  God.  Circumcision  then,  was  the 
appointed  sign  of  his  union  with  the  church  of  God 
and  of  his  interest  in  her  distinguished  privileges. 
And  when  the  parent  received  this  sign  of  God's 
covenant  with  his  people,  his  children  likewise  were 
partakers  of  it.  This  is  the  principle  which  is  clearly 
established  by  what  has  been  said  respecting  circum- 
cision; and  this  principle  is  of  great  importance  in 
determining  the  point  ifi  controversy.  It  is,  however, 
admitted  by  all,  that  circumcision  is  now  abolished; 
but  the  relation  between  God  and  his  people  is  not 
abolished.  He  is  still  their  God  and  the  God  of  their 
seed.  And  while  this  interesting  relation  between 
God  and  his  people  still  continues,  though"  one  sign 
of  this  relation  has  been  abolished,  another  has  been 
appointed.  He  who  appointed  circumcision  to  be  the 
sign  of  his  covenant  under  the  former  dispensation, 
has,  under  the  milder  dispensation  of  the  gospel, 
appointed  baptism.  When  an  individual  comes  out 
from  the  world  and  embraces  the  religion  of  Jesus 
Christ,  his  connection  with  the  church  of  God  is  re- 
cognised by  baptism.  Since  then,  when  a  parent 
connected  himself  with  the  church  of  God  and  re- 
ceived circumcision,  his  children  were  regarded  as 
being  interested  in  the  privileges  of  the  church  and 
likewise  received  circumcision,  it  follows  that  when 
a  parent  embraces  Christianity  and  receives  baptism, 
4 


38  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

and  is  thus  acknowledged  a  member  of  the  house- 
hold of  God,  his  children  also,  are  to  be  regarded 
as  standing  in  the  same  relation  to  the  visible  church, 
and  have  a  right  to  baptism. 

But  that  the  correctness  of  the  conclusion  may 
more  fully  appear,  that  baptism  now  occupies  the 
same  place  in  the  ordinances  of  the  church  which 
was  formerly  occupied  by  circumcision,  and,  conse- 
quently, that  infants  are  as  proper  subjects  of  the 
one  as  the  other,  it  may  be  of  advantage  to  attend  to 
some  of  the  leading  points  of  coincidence  between 
these  two"  institutions. 

1.  They  are  alike  divinely  appointed  initiatory 
rites  of  the  church  of  God.  This  point  of  agree- 
ment between  these  ordinances  must  be  apparent  to 
all  who  have  any  knowledge  of  the  scriptures.  We 
have  already  had  occasion  to  remark,  that  when 
God  was  pleased  to  take  Abraham  and  his  seed  into 
a  covenant  relation  to  him,  as  his  visible  church, 
it  was  by  circumcision.  From  this  time  forth,  when 
a  Gentile  wished  to  become  a  member  of  this  sacred 
society,  and  enter  into  the  congregation  of  the  Lord, 
he  was  received  by  circumcision.  No  uncircum- 
cised  person  could  be  regarded  as  a  member  of  the 
community  of  God's  Israel,  nor  was  he  permitted  to 
eat  the  passover.  And  that  it  is  by  baptism  we 
are  now  introduced  into  the  christian  church,  none 
will  deny.  On  the  day  of  Pentecost,  the  sacred 
historian  informs  us,  about  three  thousand  persons 
were  added  to  the  church;  and  by  baptism  they  were 
introduced  into  the  fellowship  of  the  household  of 
God;  and  henceforward,  when  any  one  would  with- 
draw from  connection  with  the  world  which  lieth 
in  wickedness,  and  would  join  himself  to  the  Lord  in 
a  perpetual  covenant,  he  was  by  baptism  admitted  to 
the  fellowship  of  the  church. 


LECTURES    ON    BAmSM.  89 

It  has  already  been  proved  by  plain  scripture 
authority,  that  the  church  now  is  the  same  sacred 
society  which  existed  under  the  legal  dispensation. 
Circumcision  and  baptism,  it  appears,  agree  in  this, 
that  they  are  initiatory  rites  of  the  church.  When 
baptism  was  instituted  as  the  initiatory  rite  under  the 
gospel,  circumcision  was  abolished.  Therefore  its 
place  in  the  ordinances  of  the  church  has  been  sup- 
plied by  baptism.  But  the  infants  of  believers  were, 
by  God's  appointment,  circumcised;  therefore,  under 
the  present  dispensation  of  the  church,  the  infants  of 
God's  people  are  proper  subjects  of  baptism. 

2.  The  signification  of  these  two  ordinances  is 
substantially  the  same.  It  is  customary  with  a  cer- 
tain class  of  writers  to  represent  circumcision  as  an 
institution  of  inferior  importance,  and  as  having  re- 
ference to  privileges  of  a  merely  temporal  nature.  It 
should  be  remembered,  however,  that  all  divine  ordi- 
nances derive  their  importance  from  the  authority  of 
God,  who  appoints  them.  Their  meaning  and  their 
value  are  not  to  be  determined  by  the  reason  of  man, 
but  by  the  authority  of  God.  Human  wisdom  has 
always  accounted  the  preaching  of  the  cross  foolish- 
ness; and  it  pronounces  a  similar  decision  in  relation 
to  the  ordinances  of  religion  generally.  "  But  the 
foolishness  of  God  is  wiser  than  men,  and  the  weak- 
ness of  God  is  stronger  than  men."  The  depravity 
of  the  human  heart  may  look  with  contempt  upon 
the  rite  of  circumcision,  but,  nevertheless,  it  was  an 
institution  dear  to  the  faithful  sons  of  Abraham,  be- 
cause it  was  the  divinely  appointed  token  of  God's 
covenant  with  them  and  their  seed.  And  to  give  us 
a  correct  idea  of  the  importance  and  significancy  of 
this  ordinance  the  apostle  says,  "  Abraham  received 
the  sign  of  circumcision,  a  seal  of  the  righteousnass 


40  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

of  faith."  Any  one  who  has  read  with  attention  the 
epistle  to  the  Romans,  will  have  ren)arked  that  the 
'•'■  righteousness  of  faith'*'*  is  that  comprehensive  bless- 
ing which  it  is  the  glory  of  the  gospel  fully  to  reveal. 
"  But  now  the  righteousness  of  God,  without  the 
law,  is  manifested,  being  witnessed  by  the  law  and 
the  prophets;  even  the  righteousness  of  God,  which 
is  by  faith  of  Jesus  Christ,  unto  all,  and  upon  all 
them  that  believe."*  The  righteousness  of  faith,  or, 
in  other  words,  the  righteousness  of  Jesus  Christ, 
which  is  received  by  faith,  is  the  only  ground  of 
pardon  and  acceptance  with  God  for  the  sitmer.  And 
though  this  blessing  is  more  fully  revealed  now  than 
it  was  under  the  former  dispensation,  yet,  let  it  not 
be  supposed  that  Abraham  was  ignorant  of  it.  The 
apostle  informs  us  "  That  the  scripiture  foreseeing 
that  God  w^ould  justify  the  heathen  through  faith, 
preached  before  the  gospel  unto  Abraham  saying, 
in  thee  shall  all  nations  be  blessed.  So  then  they 
which  be  of  faith  are  blessed  with  faithful  Abra- 
ham."! Abraham,  then,  was  made  acquainted  with 
the  gospel,  and  circumcision  was  to  him  a  sign  and 
seal  of  that  righteousness  of  faith  which  he  embraced 
as  the  ground  on  which  he  was  justified  before  God. 
Baptism  is  now  the  significant  seal  of  the  same  in- 
valuable blessing.  And  hence  such  language  as  the 
following  is  commonly  employed  in  reference  to  this 
ordinance:  "Be  baptized  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ, 
for  the  remission  of  sins"  But  remission  of  sins, 
can  be  obtained  by,  a  sinner  only  through  the  pro- 
pitiation of  Jesus  Christ.  And  hence  the  following 
declaration  of  the  apostle:  "  Being  justified  freely 
through  the  redemption  that  is  in  Jesus  Christ;  whom 

.     *Komans3:21,  22.  t  Romans  3  :  24— 26. 


I^fiCTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  41 

God  hath  set  forth  to  be  a  propitiation,  through  faith 
in  his  blood,  to  declare  his  righteousness  for  the 
remission  of  sins  that  are  past,  through  the  forbear- 
ance of  God;  to  declare,  I  say,  at  this  time,  his 
righteousness,  that  he  might  be  just,  and  the  justifier 
of  him  that  believeth  in  Jesus."*  These  two  insti- 
tutions, then,  agree  in  this  important  respect,  that, 
in  them  both,  we  have  a  representation  of  the  way 
of  justification  through  fiith  in  the  righteousness  of 
our  divine  Surety. 

But  further:  they  are  both  significant  of  the  ne- 
cessity of  a  change  of  heart,  and  are  the  divinely 
appointed  means  of  sanctification.  Circumcision,  it 
is  true,  was  an  outward  rite  applied  to  the  body;  but 
it  signified,  by  an  outward  symbol,  the  removal  of 
moral  pollution,  and  it  pointed  to  the  renovation  of 
the  heart,  which  is  efi^ected  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 
And  hence  the  following  interesting  promise,  which 
explains  the  spiritual  import  of  this  rite:  "  The  Lord 
thy  God  will  circumcise  thine  heart,  and  the  heart  of 
thy  seed,  to  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart 
and  with  all  thy  soul."t  And  Moses  exhorts  the 
Israelites  to  put  away  their  sins  and  turn  to  the  Lord, 
in  the  following  language:  "Circumcise,  therefore,  the 
foreskin  of  your  heart,  and  be  no  more  stiff-necked." 
It  is  then  perfectly  plain  that  circumcision  had  a 
spiritual  meaning,  was  significant  of  spiritual  bless- 
ings, and  that  it  pointed  to  the  moral  renovation  of 
the  heart.  The  correctness  of  this  position  is  made 
still  further  manifest  by  the  language  of  the  apostle: 
"  He  is  not  a  Jew  who  is  one  outwardly;  neither  is 
that  circumcision  which  is  outward  in  the  flesh;  but 
he  is  a  Jew  who  is  one  inwardly;    and  circumcision 

*Romans,  3:24—26.         tDeut.  30  :  6,  and  10:16. 

•   4* 


42  LECTURES     ON    BAPTISai. 

is,  that  of  the  heart,  in  the  spirit  and  not  in  the 
letter."*  Here,  you  see,  the  apostle  distinguishes 
between  outward  circumcision  and  the  circumcision 
of /Ae  heart;  circumcision  in  the  letter,  and  circum- 
cision  in  the  spirit.  This  language  would  be  wholly 
unmeaning,  on  any  other  principle,  than  that  for 
which  we  contend,  that  the  outward  rite  is  signifi- 
cant of  an  inward  grace. 

How  utterly  irreconcilable  with  the  scriptures:  and 
may  I  not  say,  how  irreverent  is  it,  to  lower  the  im- 
portance of  this  sacred  rite,  and  to  represent  it  as  a 
mere  political  badge,  by  which  the  descendants  of 
Abraham  were  distinguished  from  other  nations? 
While  it  was,  indeed,  an  outward  rite  applied  to  the 
body,  it  had  a  most  interesting  spiritual  meaning. 
Fr.onri  the  oracles  of  truth  we  know  that  it  was  sig- 
jiificajit  of  a  moral  renovation  of  our  nature  and  of 
the  implantation  of  gracious  affections  in  the  soul. 

The  vjsry  same  things  are  signified,  only  in  a  clear- 
er manner,  correspondent  with  a  dispensation  of 
greater  light,  by  christian  baptism.  Accordingly, 
an  apostle  informs  us,  that,  "  Baptism  doth  also  save 
us,  not  the  putting  away  of  the  filth  of  the  flesh,  but 
the  answer  of  a  good  conscience,  by  the  resurrection 
of  Jesus  Christ."!  It  is  just  as  true  of  baptism  as  of 
circumcision,  that  it  is  an  outward  rite.  And  it  is 
as  true  of  the  one  ordinance  as  of  the  other,  that 
that  which  is  outward  in  the  flesh,  is,  comparatively, 
not  worthy  of  the  name.  And  the  apostle  here 
points  to  the  important  distinr^tion  between  the  bap- 
tism of  the  body  with  water,  and  that  of  the  heart, 
which  is  efl^ected  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  Water,  in 
baptism,  is  applied  to  the  body;  and  all  that  water 

»Rom.  2:28,  2n.  fl  Peter  3:21. 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  43 

can  accomplish  is,  the  removal  of  the  "  filth  of  the 
flesh."  But  the  external  baptism,  with  water,  is  em- 
blematic of  the  baptism  of  the  Spirit,  by  which  a 
change  of  heart  is  effected,  and  holiness  of  life  is 
produced.  Baptism  saves,  then,  not  by  any  clean- 
sing efficacy  which  the  water  possesses,  but  as  it  is 
the  divinely  appointed  means  of  producing  a  "good 
conscience:"  that  is,  a  conscience  purged  from  dead 
works  by  the  blood  of  Jesus,  and  purified  from  the 
pollution  of  sin,  to  serve  the  living  God.  These  two 
institutions,  then,  plainly  agree,  in  that  they  are  alike 
the  divinely  appointed  means  of  promoting  the  sancti- 
fication  of  the  soul;  and,  consequently,  no  sufficient 
reason  can  be  assigned  to  show  that  the  infants  of 
believers  are  not  proper  subjects  of  the  one  ordinance 
as  well  as  of  the  other. 

Since,  then,  circumcision  and  baptism  agree,  in 
that  they  are  the  divinely  appointed  rites  of  admis^ 
sion  into  the  church  of  God;  since  they  both  repre- 
sent  the  way  of  pardon  and  acceptance  with  God, 
through  the  righteousness  of  Christ:  since  they  both 
signify  the  necessity  of  a  new  heart,  and  are  at  the 
same  , time  the  means  of  promoting  internal  holiness: 
and  since,  as  all  admit,  circumcision  is  now  abol- 
ished, the  conclusion  is  irresistible,  that  baptism  has 
supplied  its  place.  But  the  infants  of  believers  were 
proper  subjects  of  circumcision;  therefore  they  have 
a  right  to  baptism. 

It  does  not,  in  any  degree,  militate  against  the 
justness  of  this  conclusion,  that  there  are  some  cir- 
cumstantial differences  between  these  two  ordinances. 
For  example:  circumcision  was  restricted  to  males; 
whereas  male  and  female  alike  have  an  interest  in 
baptism.  For  reasons  not  particularly  revealed,  a 
distinction  was  made  between   the  sexes,  under  the 


44  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

former  dispensation,  and  the  rite  of  initiation  into  the 
church  was  confined  to  males.  In  the  Jewish  church 
the  females  were  represented  by  the  males,  and  the 
latter  only,  were  circumcised;  but  being  represented 
by  the  males,  they  were  regarded  as  virtually,  though 
not  really,  circumcised.  And  hence  females,  as  well 
as  males,  partook  of  the  passover,  from  which  every 
uncircumcised  person  was,  by  the  law,  interdicted. 
But,  under  the  present  dispensation,  this  distinction 
between  the  sexes  no  longer  exists;  for  we  are  ex- 
pressly told,  that  in  Christ  Jesus,  "  there  is  neither 
Jew  nor  Greek,  there  is  neither  bond  nor  free,  there 
is  neither  male  nor  female;  for  ye  are  all  one  in 
Christ  Jesus."* 

But  further:  that  baptism  is  christian  circumcision, 
and  has  taken  the  place  of  the  institution  given  to 
Abraham,  appears  with  conclusive  evidence  from  the 
language  of  the  apostle:  "  Ye  are  complete  in  him, 
who  is  the  head  of  all  principality  and  power;  in 
whom  also,  ye  are  circumcised  with  the  circumcision 
made  without  hands,  in  putting  off  the  body  of  the 
sins  of  the  flesh,  by  the  circumcision  of  Christ. 
Buried  with  him  in  baptism,  wherein  also  ye  are 
risen  with  him  through  the  fliith  of  the  operation  of 
God,  who  hath  raised  him  from  the  dead."")"  This 
passage,  you  may  observe,  confirms  the  truth  of 
what  we  have  already  said  with  regard  to  the  spir- 
itual import  of  circumcision.  Here  is  a  "circum- 
cision made  without  hands;"  that  is,  effected  by 
divine  power,  in  opposition  to  that  which  is  performed 
by  man,  And  as  to  the  spiritual  meaning  of  the 
outward  rite,  it  is  significant  of  the  "putting  off  the 
body  of  the  sins  of  the  flesh."     The  apostle  in  this 

*  Galatians  3  :  28.  f  Colos.  2 :  10—12. 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  45 

passage  exhorts  the  Colossians  to  adhere  stedfastly 
to  the  gospel  of  Christ  in  opposition  to  those  false 
teachers  who  would  lead  them  to  incorporate  with 
Christianity  the  principles  of  a  vain  philosophy  or  of 
Jewish  traditions.  And  an  argument  is  drawn  from 
the  fullness  of  grace  that  is  in  Christ:  "  Ye  are 
complete  in  him."  United  to  Christ  by  a  living  faith, 
the  christian  is  complete:  he  is  made  a  partaker  of 
every  thing  that  is  necessary  to  his  justification, 
sanctification  and  preservation  to  eternal  glory.  He 
needs  not  the  help  of  the  legal  ceremonies  for  which 
some  false  teachers  were  so  zealous.  Why  should 
he  submit  to  circumcision  in  accordance  with  the 
demand  of  those  who  corrupted  the  gospel  by  teach- 
ing, "  Except  ye  be  circumcised  and  keep  the  law  of 
Moses,  ye  cannot  be  saved?"  Circumcision  is  no 
longer  an  ordinance  to  be  observed  in  the  church. 
That,  however,  of  which  circumcision  was  signifi- 
cant, is  more  clearly  represented  by  baptism,  of 
which  the  Colossians  had  been  made  partakers  on 
their  profession  of  Christianity. 

From  the  connection  in  which  circumcision  and 
baptism  are  here  introduced  by  the  apostle,  and  from 
the  exact  correspondence  between  them  as  to  their 
spiritual  import  as  here  exhibited,  we  are  shut  up  to 
the  conclusion  that,  according  to  the  apostle,  baptism 
is  the  christian  circumcision.  Look  for  a  moment 
at  the  exact  agreement  of  these  two  institutions,  as 
to  their  spiritual  import: 

1.  Circumcision  is  significant  of  a  spiritual  change. 
In  Christ  you  are  circumcised  with  the  circumcision 
made  without  hands.  The  outward  rite  of  circum- 
cision was  performed  by  the  hand  of  man:  but  this 
outward  rite  was  significant  of  the  circumcision  of 
the  heart,  which  is  performed  by  the  power  of  the 


46  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

Holy  Spirit.  The  true  believer  is  a  partaker  of  this 
spiritual  circumcision,  which  results  in  putting  off* 
the  body  of  the  sins  of  the  flesh;  or,  in  otner  words, 
which  teaches  him  to  mortify  the  flesh,  with  the  affec- 
tions and  lusts,  and  to  live  unto  God.  This  may 
with  propriety  be  termed  the  circumcision  of  Christ; 
because,  though  the  necessity  of  it  was  signified  by 
the  external  rite  under  the  law,  it  is  in  reality  pro- 
duced only  by  the  spirit  of  Christ. 

2.  In  the  next  place  the  apostle  introduces  baptism 
as  significant  of  the  same  thing.  Baptism  represents 
our  interest  in  those  spiritual  benefits  procured  by 
the  death  and  resurrection  of  Christ;  and  to  signify 
our  union  to  Christ  and  interest  in  the  benefits  of 
redemption,  as  represented  in  baptism,  we  are  said 
to  be  buried  with  him  in  baptism,  and  to  be  risen 
together  with  him.  In  other  words,  baptism  is  sig- 
nificant of  our  death  to  sin,  and  of  our  entrance  upon 
a  new  life.  It  is  not  the  mode  according  to  which 
baptism  is  administered,  but  baptism  itself,  which 
signifies  our  interest  in  the  blessings  procured  by  the 
death  of  Christ.  As  Christ  died  for  the  expiation  of 
our  sin,  so  by  virtue  of  our  union  to  him,  and  inte- 
rest in  his  death,  we  are  redeemed  from  all  iniquity, 
and  are  enabled  to  die  unto  sin;  and  as  he  arose 
from  the  dead  to  die  no  more,  so  we,  in  him,  rise 
from  a  state  of  death  in  sin,  and  enter  upon  a  new 
life  of  holiness,  which  shall  never  end.  And  of  our 
participation  of  the  benefits  of  his  death  and  resur- 
rection, baptism  is,  under  the  gospel,  an  appointed 
sign.  Since,  then,  circumcision  and  baptism  agree 
in  their  spiritual  import,  and  since  circumcision  has 
vanished  away,  we  conclude  that  baptism  has  sup- 
plied its  place;  and  as  the  infants  of  God's  people  had 
a  right  to  circumcision,  under  the  law,  much  more 
have  they,  under  the  gospel,  a  right  to  baptism. 


LECTURE    III. 


SUBJECTS    OF    BAPTISM,    CONTINUED. 

FkoM  the  view  which  has  been  taken  of  the  con- 
stitution and  privileges  of  the  church,  under  the 
former  dispensation,  it  appears  that,  from  her  first 
existence  as  a  society  separated  from  the  world,  and 
in  visible  covenant  with  God,  the  infants  of  believers 
were,  by  the  express  appointment  of  God,  members 
of  this  sacred  community,  and  had  a  right  to  the 
instituted  sign  of  connection  with  it.  Such,  beyond 
dispute,  was  the  relation  which  the  children  of  God's 
people  sustained  to  the  church,  previous  to  the  intro- 
duction of  the  gospel  dispensation.  And  will  any 
one  maintain,  that  under  the  reign  of  Messiah,  our 
children  are  excluded  from  the  visible  church,  and 
have  no  right  to  the  appointed  sign  of  the  relation 
subsisting  between  God  and  his  people?  He  who 
would  rob  us  of  a  privilege  so  dear  to  the  heart  of  a 
christian  parent,  is  under  obligations  to  show,  from 
the  language  of  the  New  Testament,  that  God  has 
cut  off  our  children  from  his  church,  and  that  he  has 
deprived  them  of  an  important  privilege  which  his 
benignity  once  conferred  upon  them. 

It  is  therefore  altogether  unreasonable  to  demand 
positive  and  express  proof  from  the  New  Testament, 
to  show  that  the  children  of  believers  are  connected 
with  the  church  of  Christ;  or  which  amounts  to  the 
same  thing,  that  they  have  a  right  to  baptism.  This 
demand  is  unreasonable;  because  the  scriptures  of 
the  Old  Testament  are  the  word  of  God  and  the  rule 


48  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

of  faith,  as  well  as  those  of  the  New  Testament. 
And  as  we  have  already  seen,  the  children  of  believ- 
ers were  connected  with  the  church  of  God  under 
the  former  dispensation.  It  has  also  been  demon- 
strated that  the  change  of  dispensation  which  has 
taken  place  has  not  aflected  the  identity  of  the  church. 
If,  then,  the  church  still  remains  the  same,  and  if 
infants  were  members  of  the  church  under  the  for- 
rher  dispensation,  it  follows,  as  a  necessary  conse- 
quence, that  they  are  still  connected  with  the  church 
under  the  gospel,  unless  it  can  be  made  appear  that 
they  are  now  excluded  by  Him  who  formerly  con- 
ferred on  them  that  privilege.  I  repeat  it  then,  that 
on  those  who  deny  the  right  of  infant  baptism  de- 
volves the  obligation  to  prove,  from  the  express 
lann-uage  of  the  New  Testament,  that  God  has  dis- 
solved  the  connection  which  he  himself  established 
between  His  church  and  the  children  of  His  people. 
But  in  vain  do  we  call  for  such  proof.  Nothing  like 
it  can  be  produced.  In  truth,  as  has  already  been 
observed,  the  very  supposition  that  this  inestimable 
privilege  has  been  taken  away,  under  the  gospel, 
involves  an  absurdity.  It  would  be  to  suppose  that 
there  has  been  a  serious  diminution,  instead  of  an 
enlargement  of  the  i)rivileges  of  the  church  under 
the  gospel. 

But  though  I  have  said  that,  to  demand  positive 
and  express  authority  for  infant  baptism  from  the 
New  Testament  is  unreasonable,  I  am  not  to  be  un- 
derstood as  intimating  that  there  is  any  difficulty 
in  producing  from  the  New  Testament  satisfactory 
proof  of  the  right  of  infant  baptism.  I  therefore 
proceed  now  to  the  examination  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, and  hope  to  make  it  appear  that  our  Lord  and 
his  apostles  distinctly  recognize  the  membership  of 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  49 

the  children  of  believers  in  the  visible  church,  and, 
consequently,  their  right  to  christian  baptism. 

1.  Mv  first  argument,  in  support  of  the  right  of 
infant  baptism,  is  founded  upon  that  doctrine  of  the 
New  Testament  which  maintains  that  believers  in 
Christ  are  the  seed  of  Abraham.  "If  ye  be  Christ's, 
then  are  ye  Abraham's  seed  and  heirs  according  to 
the  promise."*  In  the  covenant  made  with  Abra- 
ham, God  declares,  "  A  father  of  many  nations  have 
I  made  thee."  By  virtue  of  this  covenant,  the  apos- 
tle informs  us,  Abraham  is  "  the  fi^ther  of  all  them 
that  believe,  though  they  be  not  circumcised."  Be- 
tween the  father  of  the  faithful,  and  all  those  among 
the  Gentile  nations  who  believe  in  Christ,  there  is 
then  a  relation  of  much  greater  importance  than  that 
which  subsists  between  him  and  those  who  are 
merely  his  natural  descendants.  They  are  heirs, 
according  to  the  promise,  to  those  spiritual  blessings 
and  privileges  which  were  secured  to  Abraham. 
What  then  was  the  privilege  conferred  upon  our 
venerable  father?  God,  in  the  plenitude  of  his  grace, 
established  with  him  a  covenant,  in  which  he  de- 
clared to  him,  "  I  will  be  a  God  unto  thee,  and  to 
thy  seed  after  thee."  Abraham  and  his  natural  seed, 
then  were  taken  into  covenant  with  God,  and  by 
divine  appointment  had  a  right  to  circumcision  which 
was  the  external  sign  of  the  relation  into  which  they 
were  introduced.  Are  then  believers  in  Christ, 
under  the  gospel,  the  spiritual  seed  of  Abraham,  and 
are  they,  notwithstanding,  cut  off  from  the  enjoy- 
ment of  a  privilege  which  his  natural  seed  enjoyed 
under  the  law?  No!  It  cannot  be.  Whether  the 
external  sign  of  the  relation  between  believers  and 

*  Galatians  3  :  29. 


50  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

the  God  of  Abraham,  is  now  the  same  which  was 
originally  appointed  or  not,  is  a  matter  wholly  unim- 
portant to  our  argument.  If  believers  in  Christ  are 
the  seed  of  Abraham,  then  the  God  of  Abraham  is 
their  God,  and  the  God  of  their  seed.  The  relation 
which  they  and  their  seed  sustain  to  God,  is  the  same 
into  which  Abraham  and  his  seed  were  originally 
taken:  and  the  relation  being  the  same,  the  seed  of 
believers  now,  have  equally  with  the  natural  offspring 
of  Abraham,  a  right  to  the  appointed  sign  of  this 
covenant  relation.  Circumcision,  which  was  formerly 
the  appointed  sign  of  this  relation,  it  will  be  admitted, 
is  now  abolished,  while  baptism  has  supplied  its  place. 
They  who  are  Christ's,  then,  being  Abraham's  seed, 
and  heirs  according  to  the  promise,  it  is  just  as  true 
of  them,  as  it  was  of  Abraham  of  old,  that  God  is 
their  God  and  the  God  of  their  seed;  and,  conse- 
quently, their  children  have  a  right  to  baptism,  which 
is  now  the  sign  of  this  relation. 

2.  That  the  children  of  believers  are  proper  sub- 
jects of  baptism,  appears  from  the  declaration  of  our 
Lord  to  those  parents  who  brought  their  offspring  to 
him  to  receive  his  blessing:  "Suffer  little  children 
and  forbid  them  not  to  come  unto  me,  for  of  such  is 
the  kingdom  of  heaven."*  That  the  persons  brought 
to  our  Lord  on  this  occasion  were  literally  infants, 
is  abundantly  manifest.  They  are  not  only  called 
"  little  children"  and  "  infants,"  but  it  is  said  that 
our  Lord  "took  them  up  in  his  arms."  However 
imperfect  the  knowledge  of  these  parents  may  have 
been,  it  is  evident  that  they  believed  in  Christ;  and 
hence  it  was  their  desire  that  their  children  should 
enjoy  his  blessing.  The  question  is  sometimes  asked 
by  the  opponents  of  infant  baptism,  "  What  possible 

*  Matthew  \9  :  14. 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  51 

advantage  can  an  infant  derive  from  being  dedicated 
to  God  in  baptism?  It  cannot  understand  any  thing 
about  the  nature  of  this  ordinance;  and  what  profit 
can  it  derive  from  being  baptized?"  These  parents 
seem  to  have  had  no  difficulty  in  believing  that  their 
children  might  derive  important  advantage  from  be- 
ino-  brought  to  Christ.  And  how  did  our  divine 
Redeemer  receive  them?  Did  he  regard  their  pious 
wishes  with  indifference?  Did  he  say  to  them,  "your 
children  cannot  understand  what  I  say;  take  them 
away;  and  when  they  shall  have  come  to  years  of 
reflection,  let  them  come  themselves,  and  obtain  my 
blessing?"  No!  But  in  the  most  kind  and  conde- 
scending manner  our  Lord  encourages  these  parents 
to  come,  assuring  them,  that  "  of  such  is  the  king- 
dom of  heaven^  By  the  phrase,  the  kingdom  of 
heaven,  as  employed  in  the  ISTevv  Testament,  is  usu- 
ally to  be  understood  the  visible  church,  which  is 
the  kingdom  of  Christ  on  earth.  Accordingly  our 
Lord  compares  the  kingdom  of  heaven  to  a  field  in 
which  tares  appeared  among  the  wheat;  and  to  a 
net  cast  into  the  sea,  which  enclosed  fish  of  every 
kind.  Under  these  similitudes  the  visible  church  is 
presented  to  our  view,  as  comprehending  in  the  pre- 
sent state  of  imperfection,  along  with  true  believers, 
hypocrites  and  formalists,  who  have  a  form  of  godli- 
ness, while  they  are  destitute  of  its  power.  And 
again  it  is  said,  that  "  many  shall  come  from  the 
east  and  from  the  west,  and  shall  sit  down  with  Abra- 
ham, and  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  in  the  kingdom  of  Heaven, 
but  the  children  of  the  kingdom  shall  be  cast  out."* 
It  is  evident  that  this  declaration  cannot  refer  to  the 
Icingdom  of  glory  above,  for  none  who  are  admittec) 

*  Matthew  8:11,  12. 


52  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

into  that  kingdom  shall  ever  be  cast  out.  It  is  ap- 
plicable only  to  the  visible  church  from  which  the 
descendants  of  Abraham  were  excluded,  on  account 
of  their  unbelief,  and  into  which  the  believing  Gen- 
tiles were  introduced.  And  here  it  may  be  remarked 
we  have  another  plain  proof  of  the  identity  of  the 
Jewish  and  christian  church.  They  who  are  intro- 
duced into  the  kingdom  of  heaven  from  the  east  and 
from  the  west,  enter  into  the  same  society  of  which 
the  believing  patriarchs  were  members.  They  sit 
down  in  the  kingdom  cf  heaven  with  Abraham, 
Isaac  and  Jacob. 

Such  then  being  the  import  of  the  phrase,  "  the 
Kingdom  of  Hear^en,^''  the  doctrine  taught  in  our 
Lord's  address  to  these  parents  is,  that  such  little 
children  have  a  right  to  membership  in  his  visible 
church,  and  consequently,  are  proper  subjects  of 
baptism,  which  is  the  initiatory  rite  of  the  christian 
church.  "Of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven,"  It 
is  true  that  the  subject  of  baptism  is  not  mentioned 
in  this  passage,  nor  is  there  any  thing  here  said  with 
regard  to  their  right  to  this  seal  of  God's  covenant. 
But  the  proof  is  not  on  that  account  the  less  conclu- 
sive. A  principle  is  here  established,  from  which 
the  right  of  infant  baptism  is  a  necessary  and  legiti- 
mate conclusion.  Our  Lord  plainly  declares  that 
the  kingdom  of  heaven,  or  visible  church,  is  com- 
posed of  such  little  children.  But  how  is  any  one 
introduced  into  connection  with  the  church  ofChrist 
and  recognised  as  a  member  of  that  society?  It  is 
by  baptism.  If,  therefore,  the  little  children  of  be- 
lieving parents  may  be  members  of  the  visible  church 
ofChrist,  they  are  proper  subjects  of  baptism  which 
is  the  appointed  sign  of  membership  in  the  church, 

2.  As  it  thus  plainly  appears  that  during  the  pe- 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  53 

riod  of  his  personal  ministry  on  earth,  our  blessed 
Lord  distinctly  recognised  little  children  as  proper 
subjects  of  his  kingdom,  let  us  proiceed  to  inquire 
what  is  the  doctrine  which  was  taught  by  his  apos- 
tles after  they  were  endued  with  power  from  on  high, 
by  the  abundant  effusion  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  And  if  1 
am  not  mistaken,  the  doctrine  for  which  we  plead,  is 
taught  in  the  first  apostolic  sermon  which  was 
preached  after  this  memorable  event  took  place.  On 
the  day  of  Pentecost,  many  of  the  Jews  who  were 
present  in  Jerusalem,  were  awakened  under  the 
powerful  preaching  of  the  apostle  Peter.  And  under 
deep  and  pungent  conviction  of  sin,  they  inquired, 
"  What  must  we  do?"  Then  Peter  said  unto  them, 
"  repent  and  be  baptized,  every  one  of  you,  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and 
ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  For  the 
promise  is  unto  you  and  to  your  children,  and  to  all 
that  are  afar  off,  even  as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God 
shall  call."*  To  understand  the  import,  as  well  as 
to  perceive  the  force  of  a  declaration,  it  is  of  import- 
ance to  keep  in  view,  the  speaker,  the  person  ad- 
dressed, and  the  occasion  on  which  the  declaration 
was  uttered.  The  persons  to  whom  these  words 
were  addressed,  were  the  descendants  of  faithful 
Abraham,  among  whose  distinguished  privileges  this 
is  particularly  mentioned  as  one,  that  unto  them  per- 
tained the  'promises.  They  were  the  children  of  the 
covenant,  who  knew  that  peculiar  privileges  had  been 
secured  to  them  in  the  covenant  which  God  had 
made  with  their  venerable  ancestor.  They  were 
well  acquainted  with  the  precious  promise  made  to 
the  father  of  the  faithful,  "  1  will  be  a  God  unto  thee 

*  Acts  2  :  38,  39. 

5* 


54  LECTURES    ON    BAFPISM. 

and  to  thy  seed  after  thee;"  and  they  were  perfectly 
familiar  with  the  fact,  that  from  thedays  of  Abraham 
the  children  of  believers  had  been  recognised  as 
members  of  the  church  of  God,  together  with  their 
parents,  and  were  regarded  as  proper  subjects  of 
circumcision.  They  knew  that  it  had  been  prom- 
ised to  their  fathers;  "  They  shall  be  my  people  and 
I  will  be  their  God.  And  1  will  give  them  one  heart 
and  one  way  that  they  may  fear  me  forever,  for  the 
good  of  them  and  of  their  children  after  them."* 
"  And  they  shall  dwell  in  the  land  that  1  have  given 
unto  Jacob  my  servant,  wherein  your  fathers  have 
dwelt;  and  they  shall  dwell  therein,  even  they  and 
their  children,  and  their  children's  children  for  ever; 
and  my  servant  David  shall  be  their  prince  for 
ever."f  Those  whom  the  apostle  addressed  on  this 
occasion  were  lamiliar  with  the  privileges  of  the 
Jewish  church,  and  with  the  promises  made  to  their 
fathers.  But  they  were  as  yet  unacquainted  with 
the  peculiarities  of  the  new  dispensation.  They 
would  not,  however,  apprehend  any  diminution  of 
their  privileges  under  the  reign  of  him  who  was  the 
desire  of  all  nations:  and  being  burdened  with  a 
sense  of  their  guilt  in  crucifying  the  Lord  of  glory, 
and  being  fully  convinced  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
was  the  true  Messiah,  they  desired  to  be  instructed 
in  relation  to  their  duty.  The  apostle  directs  them 
to  repent  and  look  unto  Jesus,  whom  they  crucified, 
for  the  pardon  of  their  sins;  and  as  an  expression  of 
their  faith  in  the  Saviour,  to  be  baptized  in  his  name. 
And  for  their  encouragement,  he  adds,  the  promise 
is  unto  you.  To  what  promise  does  the  apostle  here 
direct  the  hopes  of  these  anxious  inquirers  after  the 

*  Jeremiah  32  :  38,  39.  +  Ezekicl  37  :  25. 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  55 

Way  of  pardon  and  acceptance  with  God?  It  cannot 
be  to  the  promise  of  the  miraculous  gifts  of  the^-Spirit 
merely,  for  these  are  not  necessarily  connected  with 
the  pardon  of  sin.  Some  have  been  made  partakers 
of  these,  who  were  yet  in  their  sins.  These  anxious 
inquirers  were  burdened  with  a  sejise  of  sin,  and 
they  desire  to  know  whether  there  is  any  hope  for 
them.  The  apostle  directs  them  to  that  Jesus  whom 
they  had  crucified,  in  whom  alone  there  is  redemp- 
tion through  his  blood,  and  to  the  cleansing  efficacy 
of  that  blood  as  symbolically  represented  in  baptism. 
But  the  convinced  soul,  laboring  under  a  sense  of 
guilt,  anxiously  inquires,  is  there  forgiveness  for 
me?  Let  not  your  heart  yield  to  despondency,  re- 
plies the  apostle,  for  the  promise  is  unto  you.  It 
was  then  a  promise  which  contained  encouragement 
for  these  sons  of  Abraham  to  look  for  pardon  through 
faith  in  the  Messiah,  promised  to  their  father.  It 
was,  in  other  words,  the  great  promise  contained  in 
the  covenant  made  with  the  father  of  the  faithful, 
one  prominent  blessing  included  in  which,  was  the 
plentiful  effusion  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  was  to  be 
consequent  upon  the  coming  of  the  Messiah.  God 
had  said  to  Abraham,  "  I  will  be  a  God  to  thee  and 
to  thy  seed  after  thee."  "And  in  thy  seed  shall  all 
the  nations  of  the  earth  be  blessed."  "  They  who 
are  of  faith,"  the  apostle  informs  us,  "  the  same  are 
the  children  of  Abraham;"  and  they  likewise  are 
"  blessed  with  faithful  Abraham."  These  contrite 
sinners,  then,  are  assured,  that  by  embracing  Jesus 
Christ  in  the  exercise  of  faith,  they  would  become 
the  spiritual  seed  of  Abraham  who  is  the  father  of 
all  them  that  believe,  and  would  be  blessed  vvith 
faithful  Abraham:  that  is,  they  would,  like  Abra- 
ham, be   justified   by   faith  in  the  righteousness  of 


56  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

Christ,  and  would  be  made  partakers  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  his  quickening,  sanctifying  and  comforting 
influences.  And  as  an  evidence  of  tlieir  faith  in 
Christ,  and  subjection  to  his  authority,  the  apostle 
requires  them  to  be  baptized  in  his  name. 

These  words,  it  will  be  admitted,  were  well  adapted 
to  comtort  the  hearts  of  these  contrite  ones.  But  just 
in  proportion  to  our  solicitude  in  relation  to  the  wel- 
fare of  our  own  souls,  will  be  the  concern  of  the 
parental  heart  with  regard  to  the  spiritual  interests 
of  our  children.  These  Jewish  parents  having  learn- 
ed that  the  gospel  contained  glad  tidings  for  them, 
could  not  but  be  solicitous  to  know  in  what  light  this 
dispensation  of  grace  and  truth  regarded  iheir  chil- 
dren. They  were  familiar  with  the  state  of  things 
under  the  legal  dispensation.  They  knew  that  when 
a  parent  professed  his  faith  in  the  God  of  Abraham, 
he  not  only  received  circumcision  himself,  but  his 
infant  seed  likewise  were  regarded  as  in  covenant 
with  God,  and  had  a  right  to  circumcision.  But  as 
yet  they  had  no  particular  information  respecting 
baptism,  the  sign  under  the  new  dispensation.  Let 
not  your  hearts  be  troubled,  replies  the  apostle;  you 
shall  not  lose  any  thing  by  embracing  Christianity; 
for  the  promise  is  not  to  you  only,  but  to  your  chil- 
dren. When  it  is  kept  in  mind  that  these  persons 
addressed  by  the  apostle  were  Jews,  who  had  always 
been  accustomed  to  see  the  children  of  believers. re- 
ceive circumcision,  it  is  not  conceivable  that  they 
could  understand  him  in  any  other  sense  than  as 
teaching,  that  when  a  parent  was  received  into  the 
church  by  baptism,  his  children  were  regarded  as 
having  a  right  to  the  same  privilege.  "  The  promise 
is  to  you  and  to  your  children." 

But  the  great  promise  here  more  especially  referred 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  57 

to  appears  with  clearer  evidence  from  the  following 
declaration:  "  And  to  all  that  are  afar  off,  even  as 
many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call."  It  is  then 
a  promise,  in  which,  not  the  natural  descendants  of 
Abraham  and  their  seed  alone  are  interested,  but 
one  which  opens  a  fountain  of  hope  and  consola- 
tion to  the  Gentile  world.  This  circumstance  at 
once  leads  back  our  minds  to  the  promise  made  to 
Abraham,  "In  thy  seed,  shall  all  the  nations  of  the 
earth  be  blessed."  At  the  time  when  God  revealed 
to  Abraham  his  gracious  purpose  respecting  his 
own  family,  saying,  "I  will  be  a  God  to  thee,  and 
to  thy  seed  after  thee,"  it  was  made  known  in  no 
ambiguous  terms,  that  at  some  future  day  the  nations 
generally  should  be  interested  in  the  blessings  prom- 
ised to  the  father  of  the  faithful.  In  the  prophetic 
benediction  pronounced  on  Judah  by  the  patriarch 
Jacob,  it  is  said,  in  reference  to  the  Messiah  who  is 
spoken  of  by  the  name  Shiloh,  "  Unto  him  shall  the 
gathering  of  the  people  be."  At  a  later  period  God 
declares  by  the  prophet  Isaiah,  "  It  is  a  light  thing 
that  thou  shouldst  be  my  servant  to  raise  up  the 
tribes  of  Jacob,  and  to  restore  the  preserved  oTIsrael. 
I  will  also  give  thee  for  a  light  to  the  Gentiles,  that 
thou  mayest  be  my  salvation  to  the  ends  of  the 
earth."  And  in  describing  the  moral  change  which 
the  gospel  would  produce  in  the  Gentile  world,  the 
following  significant  language  is  employed:  "I  will 
open  rivers  in  high  places,  and  mountains  in  the 
midst  of  the  valleys;  I  will  make  the  wilderness  a 
pool  and  the  dry  land  springs  of  water."  These, 
and  similar  declarations  in  the  prophetic  writings, 
are  only  a  developement  of  the  comprehensive  prom- 
ise made  to  Abraham,  and  to  which  the  apostle  here 
refers.      "Inthv  seed  shall  all  the  nations  of  the 


58  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

earth  be  blessed."  And  this  promise  has  been  in 
the  progress  of  fulfilment  ever  since  the  Gentiles,  by 
believing  in  Christ,  became  the  spiritual  seed  of 
Abraham.  And  thus  the  blessing  of  Abraham  has 
come  upon  the  Gentiles,  through  Jesus  Christ,  that 
they  might  receive  the  promise  of  the  spirit.  With 
the  greatest  propriety  then,  might  the  apostle  assure 
his  hearers,  who  were  awakened  to  a  sense  of  their 
guilty  and  exposed  condition,  that  this  promise,  origi- 
nally made  to  their  worthy  ancestor,  exhibited  to 
them  and  to  their  children  encouragement  and  con- 
solation, while  it  opened  a  door  of  hope  to  the  Gen- 
tile world. 

Since  then,  in  the  promise  given  to  Abraham, 
God  had  respect  to  his  seed,  and  took  them  along 
with  their  father  into  visible  covenant  with  himself 
by  circumcision;  and  since  the  apostle  assures  these 
inquiring  Jews  for  their  encouragement,  that  the 
promise  is  "to  you  and  to  your  children;"  while  he 
exhorts  them  to  be  baptized  in  the  name  of  Jesus; 
therefore  we  conchjde  that  it  was  his  design  to  teach 
them  that  their  children  were  now  proper  subjects  of 
baptism,  as  they  formerly  had  been  the  subjects  of 
circumcision. 

3.  Having  considered  the  doctrine  which  they 
taught,  let  us  now  inquire  into  the  practice  of  the 
apostles,  as  it  may  be  ascertained  from  the  primitive 
history  of  the  christian  church.  The  first  converts 
to  Christianity  who  would  receive  baptism,  would  of 
course  be  adults;  and  these  the  apostles  would  in- 
struct in  the  principles  of  the  christian  religion,  and 
then  demand  of  them  a  profession  of  their  faith  in 
Christ  before  they  were  baptized.  And  that  such 
was  the  apostolic  practice  all  will  admit.  But  among 
the  early  converts  who  embraced  the  gospel  and  were 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  59 

baptized,  some  were  parents,  who  had  families  under 
their  care.  In  what  light  then  did  the  apostles  re- 
gard the  children  of  those  parents  who  were  received 
into  the  christian  church  by  baptism?  If  we  are  not 
mistaken,  it  was  their  uniform  practice  to  regard 
them  as  the  proper  subjects  of  baptism. 

This  conclusion  is  drawn  from  the  fact,  that  when 
the  apostles  baptized  the  head  of  a  family,  his  house- 
hold also  were  baptized.  For  example,  Paul  bap- 
tized the  household  of  Stephanas;  Lydia  and  her 
household;  the  jailer  of  Philippi  and  all  his.  It  is 
true  that  it  is  not,  in  so  many  words,  said  that  there 
were  children  in  any  of  these  households.  But  is  it 
therefore  a  legitimate  conclusion,  that  these  house- 
holds contained  no  children?  Let  us  try  how  this 
mode  of  reasoning  will  work.  It  is  not  intimated 
that  any  one  in  these  different  households  believed, 
except  the  head  of  the  family;  therefore,  according 
to  the  mode  of  reasoning  which  excludes  infants  from 
these  families,  all  the  members,  except  the  parents, 
were  baptized  without  faith;  which  result  is  just  as 
fatal  to  the  baptist  hypothesis  as  the  supposition  that 
all  these  households  contained  children.  Now  if 
my  brother  should  say  to  me,  "  produce  your  posi- 
tive proof  that  there  were  children  in  any  of  these 
households,"  I  would  say,  with  all  kind  feeling,  "  I 
will  cheerfully  comply  with  your  demand,  as  soon 
as  you  have  brought  forward  positive  proof  that  any 
one  person  of  these  families  believed,  except  the 
head.  I  want  none  of  your  inferences  now.  You 
insist  in  every  case  that  the  subject  must  be  a  be- 
liever before  he  can  receive  baptism.  These  differ- 
ent households  were  baptized.  And  now  if  you 
please  let  us  have  your  positive  proof  of  the  faith  of 
any  one  member  of  these  families,  the  head  only 
excepted.     I  pause  for  a  reply." 


60  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

I  freely  admit  that  it  is  not  said  in  so  many  words, 
that  there  were  children  in  any  of  these  fannilies. 
But  this  is  not  material  to  our  argument.  Our  ar- 
gument rests  upon  the  scriptural  acceptation  of  the 
term  houseJiold.  What  is  meant  by  this  term  when 
a  man  and  his  household  are  spoken  of  in  Scripture? 
It  means  his  family,  and  particularly  his  children. 
As  examples  of  the  scriptural  use  of  the  term  house, 
or  household,  as  including  children,  you  may  notice 
the  following.  When  Boaz  called  all  the  people  and 
the  elders  to  bear  witness  to  the  consummation  of  the 
marriage  union  between  him  and  Ruth,  they  replied, 
"  We  are  witnesses.  The  Lord  make  the  woman 
that  is  come  into  thine  house,  like  Rachel,  and  like 
Leah,  which  two  did  build  the  house  of  Israel.  And 
let  thy  house  be  like  the  house  of  Pharez  whom  Ta- 
mar  bare  unto  Judah,  of  the  seed  which  the  Lord 
shall  give  thee  of  this  young  woman."*  Rachel 
and  Leah  built  up  the  house  of  Jacob;  and  how? 
Evidently  by  bearing  to  him  children.  And  in  what 
manner  did  the  people  and  the  elders  expect  that 
Ruth  would  render  the  house  of  Boaz  like  to  the 
house  of  Pharez?  Plainly  by  becoming  the  mother 
of  children.  Here,  then,  we  have  examples  in  which 
the  term  house  particularly  includes  children.  Again; 
the  apostle,  speaking  of  the  qualifications  of  a  bishop, 
observes:  "  A  bishop  must  be  blameless;  one  that 
ruleth  well  his  own  house,  having  his  children  in 
subjection.  For  if  a  man  know  not  how  to  rule  his 
own  house,  how  shall  he  take  care  of  the  church  of 
God?"t  Here  it  is  manifest  that  the  term  house  is 
used  to  signify  a  family,  and  particularly  a  family 
of  children. 

»  Ruth,  4:11,  12.  t  1  Timothy,  3  :  4,  5. 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  61 

♦Since,  therefore,  the  sacred  scriptures  employ  the 
term  house  to  signify  a  man's  family,  and  particu- 
larly his  children;  when,  in  the  history  of  the  propa- 
gation of  Christianity,  we  meet  with  the  record,  that 
a  particular  person  and  his  household  were  baptized, 
the  natural  conclusion  is,  that  the  children  of  that  per- 
son were  baptized.  This,  I  say,  is  the  natural  con- 
clusion, because  it  is  the  one  to  which  we  are  led  by 
the  language,  when  taken  in  its  ordinary  acceptation. 
And  we  cannot  come  to  any  other  conclusion,  unless 
in  the  cases  referred  to,  there  is  something  con- 
nected with  these  households  which  shows  that  the 
term  must  be  understood  in  an  unusual  sense,  and 
that  from  these  households,  infants  must  necessarily 
be  excluded.  It  is  said  by  our  brethren,  that  in 
every  case,  faith  is  a  necessary  qualification  for  bap- 
tism. But  infants  cannot  exercise  faith;  therefore 
they  should  not  be  baptized. 

But  what  are  the  facts  recorded,  in  relation  to  the 
baptism  of  Lydia  and  her  household,  and  of  the 
jailer  and  all  his?  Is  there  any  mention  made  of  the 
faith  of  any  one  of  these  households,  Lydia  and  the 
jailer  only  excepted?  None.  Of  Lydia  it  is  distinctly 
stated  that  the  Lord  opened  her  heart;  but  the  his- 
tory is  utterly  silent  with  regard  to  such  a  gracious 
operation  upon  the  heart  of  any  other  member  of  her 
family.  Not  only  so,  but  it  seems  to  be  plainly  inti- 
mated that  Lydia  herself  was  the  only  believer  of  the 
family.  When  she  invited  Paul  and  his  companions 
to  come  to  her  house  and  partake  of  her  hospitality, 
she  said  to  them,  "  If  you  have  judged  me  to  be 
faithful  to  the  Lord,  come  into  my  house  and  abide 
Ihere."*     Her  language  conveys  no  allusion  to  the 

*  Acts,  16:15, 


62  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

faith  of  any  other  member  of  her  family,  and  evi- 
dently supposes  that  she  was  the  only  one  of  her 
household  who  had  "believed.  And  yet,  she  and  her 
household  were  baptized.  And,  in  accordance  with 
this  example,  when  the  Lord  opens  the  heart  of  a 
parent,  and  he  makes  a  profession  of  his  faith  in 
Christ,  we  baptize  the  parent  and  his  children.  For 
the  promise  is  to  you  and  to  your  children. 

And  what  are  the  facts  in  the  case  of  the  jailer? 
He  believed  in  God,  but  there  is  entire  silence  in 
relation  to  the  faith  of  any  other  member  of  his 
family.  And  yet,  "he  and  all  his  were  baptized." 
To  say,  then,  that  the  members  of  these  households 
were  all  adults,  and  that  they  were  baptized  upon 
their  own  profession  of  faith,  is  to  make  a  suppo- 
sition to  suit  a  hypothesis,  of  which,  not  only  is  there 
not  the  shadow  of  proof,  but  which  is  at  variance 
with  the  circumstances  of  the  case. 

The  argument  in  favor  of  the  baptism  of  infants, 
drawn  from  the  practice  of  the  apostles  in  baptizing 
households,  will  appear  still  more  conclusive  when 
you  consider,  in  connection  with  the  apostolic  prac- 
tice, what  had  long  been  Jewish  usage.  Though  the 
church  of  God,  under  the  former  dispensation,  was, 
in  a  great  degree,  confined  to  the  natural  descend- 
ants of  Abraham,  yet  proselytes  from  the  heathen 
nations  were  occasionally  received  into  the  common- 
wealth of  Israel.  And  when  a  Gentile  parent  re- 
nounced idolatry,  and  was  admitted  to  the  fellowship 
of  the  Jewish  chiirch,  he  and  all  the  males  of  his 
household  were  circumcised,  and  afterwards,  all  the 
family,  both  male  and  female,  were  baptized.  It  is 
true  that,  in  relation  to  this  fact  as  well  as  in  relation 
to  every  other  matter  of  any  importance,  there  is 
among  learned  men  some  diversity  of  opinion.     But 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  63 

that  it  was  the  custom  of  the  Jews,  previous  to  the  first 
promulgation  of  the  gospel,  to  receive  proselytes  into 
fellowship  by  baptism,  is  a  fact,  of  which  I  consider 
the  historical  evidence  entirely  conclusive.  With  re- 
gard to  the  fact,  that  such  was  Jewish  usage,  previous 
to  the  time  when  baptism  was  instituted  as  the  initia- 
tory ordinance  of  the  christian  dispensation,  I  deem  it 
sufficient  for  my  present  purpose  to  adduce  the  testi- 
mony of  the  learned  Rabbi  Maimonides,  the  illus- 
trious expounder  of  the  Jewish  law,  who  was  re- 
garded by  his  countrymen  as  inferior  only  to  Moses, 
their  legislator  himself.  Accordincr  to  this  distin- 
guished  writer,  the  nation  of  Israel  was  admitted  into 
the  covenant  by  three  things:  circumcision,  baptism, 
and  sacrifice.  In  support  of  his  position,  with  regard 
to  baptism,  he  refers  to  the  divine  direction  given  to 
Moses  at  Mount  Sinai,  previous  to  the  delivery  of 
the  law.  "  Sanctify  them  to-day,  and  to-morrow^ 
and  let  them  wash  their  clothes."*  Whether  his  in- 
terpretation of  the  sacred  text  is  correct  or  not,  is  a 
matter  with  which  we  are  not  at  present  concerned. 
Whether  baptism  was  practised  among  the  Jews  or 
not,  is  a  question  of  fact.  And  this  learned  Jew  is 
certainly  a  competent  witness,  as  to  what  was  the 
practice  of  his  countrymen.  He  then  informs  us 
that  such  was  Jewish  usage;  and  he  traces  the  origin 
of  this  usage  to  the  occurrence  to  which  I  have  re- 
ferred. And  as  the  nation  of  Israel  was  thus  admitted 
into  covenant  with  God,  so,  he  adds,  "  In  all  ages, 
when  a  Gentile  is  willing  to  enter  into  covenant  and 
gather  himself  under  the  wings  of  the  majesty  of 
God,  and  take  upon  him  the  yoke  of  the  law,  he 
must  be  circumcised,  and  be  baptized,  and  bring  a 

*  Exodus,  19  :  10. 


64  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

sacrifice."  When  the  proselyte  was  a  female, 
she  was  required  to  receive  baptism,  and  bring  a 
sacrifice.  It  was  a  received  maxim,  that  no  one 
could  be  a  proselyte  and  admitted  into  the  fellowship 
of  the  Jewish  church,  without  receiving  circumcision 
and  baptism.  And  when  a  Gentile  parent  was  re- 
ceived into  the  Jewish  church,  not  only  was  he  him- 
self circumcised,  and  afterwards  baptized,  but  the 
males  of  his  house  were  likewise  received  by  circum- 
cision and  baptism,  and  the  females  by  baptism. 
This  being  the  custom  of  the  Jewish  church,  when 
the  apostles,  who  were  Jews,  are  said  to  have  bap- 
tized certain  parents  and  their  households,  the  obvi- 
ous meaning  of  the  declaration  is,  that  these  parents, 
with  their  children,  were  received  into  the  christian 
church  .by  baptism. 

When  it  is  remembered  that  the  Jews  regarded 
t,he  Gentiles  as  unholy,  and  that  they  were  accus- 
tomed to  divers  washings,  for  the  purpose  of  remov- 
ing uncleanness,  it  was  not  unnatural  to  adopt  this 
mode  of  receiving  a  proselyte  from  another  nation. 
It  was  in  accordance  with  existing  ideas  and  usages. 
Nor  is  it  a  serious  objection  to  our  position  that,  on 
the  supposition  that  the  baptism  of  proselytes  existed 
among  the  Jews  as  a  human  usage,  our  Lord  would 
not  have  adopted  it  as  an  institution  of  the  christian 
church.  Something  analogous  to  this  is  observable 
with  regard  to  another  ordinance.  It  was  certainly 
the  custom  of  the  Jews  to  unite  with  the  eating  of 
the  passover,  the  drinking  of  a  cup  of  wine.  To  this 
custom  it  is  evident  our  Lord  and  his  disciples  con- 
formed; and  accordingly  in  the  passover  which  he 
observed  just  before  he  instituted  the  Eucharist,  "he 
took  the  cup  and  gave  thanks  and  said,  take  this  and 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  6d 

divide  it  among  yourselves."*  And  yet  we  have  no 
account  of  the  divine  appointment  of  the  cup  in  the 
passover.  Notwithstanding,  when  our  Lord  insti- 
tuted the  Eucharist  as  a  standing  ordinance  of  his 
church,  he  retained  the  cup  which  he  had  used  in 
the  passover,  and  made  it  the  emblem  of  his  blood, 
shed  lor  the  remission  of  sin. 

The  question  then,  is,  not  whether  baptism  existed 
among  the  Jews  as  an  ordinance  of  divine  appoint- 
ment; for  of  this,  we  admit,  there  is  no  evidence,  but 
simply,  was  it  the  custom  of  the  Jews  to  receive 
proselytes  by  baptism?  That  it  was,  the  Jewish 
writings  afford  abundant  evidence.  And  when  a 
Gentile  parent  was  received  into  the  Jewish  church, 
he  and  all  his  household  were  baptized. 

And  these  things  being  kept  in  view,  it  is  easy  to 
see  that  there  was  no  necessity  for  the  apostles  to 
give  particular  instructions  on  the  subject  of  the  bap- 
tism of  infants.  It  was  a  matter  with  which  the 
minds  of  the  Jews  were  familiar:  they  had  long  been 
accustomed  to  see  the  children  of  proselytes  to  their 
religion  baptized:  and  hence,  when  baptism  was  in- 
stituted as  the  initiatory  rite  of  the  new  dispensation, 
and  circumcision  was  abolished,  they  would  expect, 
as  a  matter  of  course,  that  the  children  of  those  who 
embraced  Christianity  were  to  be  baptized. 

On  the  supposition,  then,  that  it  had  been  the  de- 
sign of  the  new  dispensation  to  exclude  infants  from 
baptism,  it  would  have  been  necessary  for  the  apostles 
to  have  stated  the  fact  particularly  to  their  hearers, 
and  to  have  assigned  some  satisfactory  reason  for  it. 
But  that  the  apostles  taught  no  such  doctrine,  is  evi- 
dent   from  the  silence  of  the  Jews  on  the  siibject. 

*  Luke,  22:17. 
6* 


66  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

The  Jews  were  tenacious  of  their  peculiar  privileges. 
They  knew  that  their  children,  even  from  the  days 
of  Abraham,  had  been  jointly  with  themselves  inte- 
rested in  the  privileges  of  God's  covenant.  And  is  it 
credible  that  they  would  surrender  a  privilege-  so 
dear  to  the  parental  heart,  without  a  murmur?  The 
whole  history  of  the  New  Testament  shbvvs  that  the 
Jews  were,  on  all  occasions,  watching  for  an  oppor- 
tunity to  find  fault  with  the  gospel;  and  had  it  been 
the  fact  that  the  new  dispensation  cuts  off  the  children 
of  believers  from  a  privilege  they  once  enjoyed,  it 
would  have  furnished  to  the  hands  of  the  captious 
scribes  and  pharisees,  an  argument  well  adapted  to 
awaken  in  the  public  mind  opposition  to  Christianity. 
But  among  all  the  objections  which  were  urged 
against  the  doctrine  of  our  Lord  and  his  apostles, 
there  is  no  allusion  to  any  thing  of  this  kind.  And 
the  only  satisfactory  explanation  of  their  silence  on 
this  subject  which  can  be  given,  is,  that  the  gospel 
which  they  preached  was  liable  to  no  such  objection. 

That  it  has  been  the  practice  of  the  Jews  to  bap- 
tize proselytes,  from  the  period  of  the  second  century 
of  the  christian  era  down  to  modern  times,  will  not 
be  denied  by  those  who  are  unwilling  to  assign  to  it 
a  more  ancient  date.  Tf,  then,  baptism  was  not  in 
use  among  the  Jews,  previous  to  the  introduction  of 
the  gospel,  it  will  follow  that  they  must  have  bor- 
rowed this  rite  from  the  christian  church.  But  when 
the  inveterate  opposition  of  the  Jews  to  Christianity 
is  considered,  is  it  not  utterly  incredible  that  they 
would  conform  to  the  usages  of  a  religion  which  they 
hated,  by  adopting  one  of  its  distinguishing  insti- 
tutions? 

And,  independent  of  this  consideration,  how  are 
we  to  account  for  the  fact  that,  when  John  the  bap- 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  67 

list  appeared  in  the  wilderness  of  Judea,  and  in  the 
exercise  ot'his  ministry  baptized  those  who  came  to 
him,  the  administration  of  this  rite  does  not  appear 
to  have  excited  any  surprise?  Had  it  been  some- 
thing entirely  new,  the  universal  inquiry  would 
naturally  have  been,  what  is  this?  The  Jews  sent 
messengers  to  John  to  demand  what  authority  he  had 
to  baptize;  but  they  make  no  inquiry  with  regard  to 
the  meaning  or  design- of  baptism  itself.  They  speak 
of  it,  not  as  something  altogether  unheard  of,  but 
as  a  thing  with  which  their  minds  were  entirely 
familiar.  They  do  not  ask,  as  they  naturally  would 
have  done,  had  it  been  something  new,  with  which 
they  were  wholly  unacquainted,  What  do  you  mean 
by  this  singular  rite?  But  their  inquiry  is  simply, 
What  authority  have  you  to  administer  this  rite? 
"  Why  baptizest  thou?"*  On  the  supposition  that 
the  Jews  had  long  been  familiar  with  baptism  in  the 
case  of  proselytes  to  their  religion,  the  inquiry  was 
natural;  but  had  they  been  wholly  unacquainted 
with  such  a  rite,  their  tirst  inquiry  would  naturally 
have  been.  What  is  the  meaning  and  design  of  this 
new  institution? 

I  regard  it,  then,  as  a  well  established  fact,  that 
previous  to  the  introduction  of  the  christian  dispen- 
sation, it  was  the  custom  of  the  Jews  to  receive  prose- 
lytes by  baptism.  When  a  Gentile  parent  embraced 
the  Jewish  religion,  he  and  all  the  males  of  his 
family  were  circumcised,  and  afterwards,  he  and  all 
his  household  were  baptized.  And  this  being  the 
fact,  when  the  sacred  history  informs  us  that  the 
apostles  baptized  parents  and  their  households,  the 
natural  conclusion   is,  that   when    believing  parents 

*  John,  1  :  25. 


68  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

were  made  partakers  of  baptism,  their  children  also 
were  baptized. 

4.  That  infant  baptism  is  the  doctrine  of  the  New 
Testament,  I  argue,  in  the  next  pIace,.from  the  decla- 
ration of  the  apostle  with  regard  to  those  children, 
one  of  whose  parents  only  is  a  believer;  "  Else  were 
your  children  unclean,  but  now  are  they  holy."* 
That  the  import  of  this  declaration  maybe  correctly 
understood,  it  will  be  necessary  to  attend  to  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  case  to  which  the  apostle  refers. 
When  the  gospel  was  first  preached  in  the  heathen 
world,  it  frequently  happened  that  one  of  the  married 
pair  would  embrace  the  religion  of  Jesus,  while  the 
other  remained  an  idolater.  Occurrences  of  this 
kind  gave  rise  to  a  question  in  the  primitive  church, 
as  to  the  propriety  of  a  believing  husband  or  wife 
remaining  in  matrimonial  connection  with  an  unbe- 
lievero'  It  was  the  more  natural  that  some  difficulty 
should  exist  among  Jewish  christians,  in  relation  to 
this  matter,  in  consequence  of  what  had  tnken  place 
in  the  days  of  Ezra.  Certain  Jews  who,  in  violation 
of  their  law,  had  married  strange  wives,  were  actu- 
ally required  to  dissolve  the  connection  and  separate 
themselves  from  them.f  On  this  subject  the  apostle 
was  consulted  by  the  Corinthian  church,  and  his  an- 
swer is  expressed  in  the  following  words:  "If  any 
brother  hath  a  wife  that  believeth  not,  and  she  be 
pleased  to  dwell  with  him,  let  him  not  put  her  away." 
"  And  the  woman  which  hath  an  husband  that  be- 
lieveth not,  and  if  he  be  pleased  to  dwell  with  her, 
let  her  not  leave  him."^!  And  as  a  reason  to  recom- 
mend this  direction,  the  apostle  adds,  "  For  the 
unbelieving  husband  is  sanctified  by  the  wife,  and  the 

*  1  Corin.  7: 14.     t  Kzra,  10:11.     11  Corin.  7  •  12—14. 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  69 

unbelieving  wife  is  sanctified  by  the  husband;  else 
were  your  children  unclean,  but  now  they  are  holy." 
To  the  correct  interpretation  of  this  passage  it  is 
necessary  to  ascertain  the  import  of  the  terms  "sanc- 
tified" and  "  holy,"  as  here  employed  by  the  apostle. 

1.  They  are  certainly  not  used  to  convey  the  idea 
of  moral  purity  of  heart.  The  apostle  evidently  does 
not  teach  that  union  in  marriage  with  a  believer  in 
Christ,  will  make  an  Jjnbeliever  a  partaker  of  moral 
holiness.  The  sanctification  of  the  soul  is  every 
where  traced  in  scripture  to  a  higher  soijrce.  And 
it  is  equally  plain  that  the  ehildi^n  of  christian  pa- 
rents do  not  inherit  holiness  of  heart  from  their 
parents.  They,  as  well  as  other  children,  are  parta- 
kers of  a  depraved  nature;  and  it  is  only  in  conse- 
quence of  being  born,  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of 
the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of  God,  thai 
they  are  made  partakers  of  internal  holiness. 

2.  Nor  does  the  apostle  employ  the  term  "  holy^" 
in  the  sense  of  "  legitimate,"  as  some  baptist  writers 
contend.  Such  an  interpretation  is  in  fact  too  ridicu- 
lous to  deserve  a  serious  refutation.  It  invents  a 
signification  for  the  word  "holy,"  which  it  no  where 
bears  in  the  sacred  volumCi;  and  besides,  if  it  has 
any  meaning,  it  supposes  that  faith  in  Christ,  on  the 
part  of  the  parent,  is  necessary  to  the  legitimacy  of 
children.  And  according  to  this  interpretation,  the 
children  of  unbelieving  parents,  however  regularly 
married,  are  illegitimate! 

3.  One  of  the  most  common  acceptations  of  the 
term  holy,  in  the  sacred  scriptures,  is,  separation  to 
some  sacred  use,  dedication  to  God.  Thus  the  tem- 
ple, and  all  its  utensils,  are  termed  holy;  the  Sabbath 
is  holy;  the  first  fruits  are  holy.  Certain  animals 
were  proper  to  be  oflTered  in  sacrifice  to  God,  while 


70  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

Others  were  prohibited.  The  former  are  holy,  the 
latter  are  unclean.  When,  therefore,  the  apostle 
says  of  the  children  of  a  believing  parent  that  ihey 
are  holy,  1  understand  him  as  saying,  that  such  a 
parent,  being  in  covenant  with  God,  and  separated 
from  the  world  to  the  service  of  God,  his  children 
enjoy  the  benefit  of  this  relation,  and  may  therefore 
with  propriety  be  dedicated  to  God. 

From  the  character  of  the  answer  which  the  apos- 
tle gives  to  the  inquiry  of  the  Corinthians,  it  is  evi- 
dent that  their  concern  originated  in  some  doubt  with 
regard  to  the  light  in  which  their  offspring,  in  such 
cases,  would  be  regarded  by  the  church.  And  hence 
the  reference  which  the  apostle  makes  to  their  chil- 
dren. In  cases  where  both  parents  were  believers, 
it  would  appear  there  existed  no  doubt.  The  off- 
spring of  such  parents,  it  was  understood,  were  inte- 
rested in  the  privileges  of  God's  covenant  with  his 
chnrch.  But  here  is  a  case  with  regard  to  which 
onr  Lord  had  given  no  particular  instructions  during 
the  period  of  his  personal  ministry;  and  hence  in  his 
answer  the  apostle  says,  "  But  to  the  rest  speak  I, 
not  the  Lord."  In  such  a  case  as  this,  where  one 
parent  v/as  a  believer  and  the  other  an  unbeliever, 
the  condition  of  their  offspring  might  seem  to  be 
doubtful.  In  so  far  as  the  believing  parent  was  con- 
cerned, the  children  were  interested  in  the  covenant, 
the  tenor  of  which  is,  "  I  will  be  a  God  to  thee  and 
to  thy  seed  after  thee;"  but  when  viewed  as  the 
offspring  of  an  unbelieving  parent,  the  children  had 
no  interest  in  the  privileges  of  the  covenant.  How 
then  are  such  children  to  be  regarded?  What  is  the 
nature  of  their  relation  to  the  church?  Are  they 
within  the  enclosure  of  the  covenant,  or  are  they 
identified  with  the  world,  which  is  in  a  state  of  rebel- 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTIS^I.  71 

lion  against  God?  This  is  the  question;  and  it  is 
easy  to  see  that  it  is  one  of  the  deepest  interest  to 
the  parental  heart.  Let  not  the  heart  of  any  parent 
be  troubled,  replies  the  apostle.  The  God  of  benig- 
nity and  love  has  decided  in  favor  of  the  feelings 
and  desires  of  the  christian  disciple.  The  child,  in 
such'cases,  inherits  the  privileges  of  the  covenant 
from  the  believing  parent,  and  is  not  excluded  by 
reason  of  its  connection  with  the  unbelieving  parent. 
The  unbelieving  partner  is  so  far  sanctified  by  the 
believing  partner,  that  your  children  are  holy;  that 
is,  included  in  the  bond  of  God's  covenant  with  his 
church,  and,  therefore,  proper  subjects  of  dedication 
to  God  in  baptism. 

Such,  then,  is  a  brief  summary  of  the  reasons 
which  lead  us  to  the  conclusion  that  infant  baptism 
is  a  doctrine  of  the  scriptures.  We  shall,  in  the 
next  place,  inquire,  in  so  far  as  the  lights  of  history 
point  out  the  way,  what  was  the  practice  of  the 
church  in  the  ages  immediately  succeeding  the  time 
of  the  apostles?  And  here,  let  it  be  remarked,  that 
our 'faith  does  not  rest  upon  the  testimony  of  the 
fathers,  but  upon  the  word  of  God.  However,  it  is 
to  be  supposed  that  those  who  lived  in  the  age  imme- 
diately succeeding  that  of  the  apostles,  were  ac- 
quainted with  the  practice  of  the  apostolic  churches. 
And  though  in  general  they  are  not  entitled  to  much 
regard  as  expounders  of  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel, 
yet,  the  fathers  are  certainly  competent  to  bear  testi- 
mony as  to  matters  of  fact,  which  came  under  their 
own  observation.  If,  then,  it  shall  appear,  as  the 
result  of  inquiry,  that  those  who  immediately  suc- 
ceeded the  apostles  regarded  the  infants  of  believers 
as  proper  subjects  of  baptism,  it  will  serve  to  strength- 
en our  conviction  that  the  view  which  we  have  taken 
of  the  doctrine  and  practice  of  the  apostles  is  correct. 


i2  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

The  first  testinjony  to  which  I  shall  direct  your 
attention  is,  that  of  Justin  Martyr,  who  suffered  mar- 
tyrdom about  the  middle  of  the  second  century.  This 
distinguished  man,  after  having  studied  the  different 
systems  of  philosophy  which  were  taught  in  heathen 
schools,  and  being  satisfied  with  none  of  them;  Was 
finally  brought  to  the  knowledge  of  Christianity, 
which  he  embraced  as  the  "  only  certain  and  useful 
philosophy."  Among  his  writings,  the  most  cele- 
brated are,  his  Dialogue  with  Trypho,  the  Jew;  and 
his  Apologies  for  Christianity,  presented  to  the  reign- 
ing emperor.  In  his  Dialogue  with  the  Jew,  he 
says,  "  We  also,  who  by  him  have  had  access  to 
God,  have  not  received  this  carnal  circumcision,  but 
the  spiritual  circumcision  which  Enoch,  and  those 
like  him,  observed.  And  we  have  received  it  by 
baptism,  by  the  mercy  of  God,  because  we  were  sin- 
ners; and  it  is  allowed  to  all  persons  to  receive  it,  in 
the  same  manner."  My  object  in  introducing  this 
quotation  is,  to  show  that  this  most  ancient  father 
represents  baptism  as  being  to  christians  what  cir- 
cumcision was  to  the  church  of  God,  of  old,  as  we 
have  endeavored  to  prove  in  a  preceding  lecture. 
And  hence  the  conclusion  is,  that  infants  are  as 
properly  the  subjects  of  the  one  as  of  the  other. 

This  father,  in  giving  an  account  of  his  christian 
brethren,  in  his  Apology,  presented  to  the  Roman 
emperor,  makes  the  following  declaration:  "  There 
are  many  persons  among  us,  both  male  and  female, 
of  sixty  and  seventy  years  of  age,  who,  from  child- 
hood, were  made  disciples  to  Christ,  who  remain 
uncorrupted."  These  persons,  who  were  seventy 
years  ot^  age  when  Justin  wrote,  and  who  were  made 
disciples  from  childhood,  must  have  been  intro 
duced  into  the  school  of  Christ  in  the  age  of  the  apos- 
tles. ■  And  how  were  these  children  made  disciples? 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  78 

Evidently,  by  being  dedicated  unto  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  and  baptized  in  his  name,  and  thus  recognised 
as  being  in  connection  with  the  church  of  Christ.  It 
is  wortliy  of  remark  that  the  term  here  used  by  this 
venerable  father,  is  the  same  which  is  employed  by 
our  Lord  in  the  commission  given  to  his  apostles; 
*'  Go,  teach  (disciple)  all  nations,  baptizing  them." 
It  seems  then,  that  this  ancient  father  understood 
that  children  might  be  made  disciples  to  Christ,  and 
baptized  in  his  name,  according  to  the  command  of 
our  Lord  and  Saviour. 

The  next  testimony  which  1  shall  adduce,  is  that 
of  Tertullian,  who  was  born  about  fifty  years  after 
the  death  of  the  apostle  John.  The  testimony  of  this 
learned  father  is  the  more  conclusive,  as  to  what 
was,  at  that  time,  the  usage  of  the  church;  because 
he  himself,  being  somewhat  remarkable  for  his  ex- 
travagant opinions,  was  rather  unfriendly  to  infant 
baptism.  In  certain  cases  he  advised  the  delay  of 
baptism.  Accordingly  he  says,  "Therefore  accord- 
ing to  every  one's  condition  and  disposition,  and  also 
their  age,  the  delaying  of  baptism  is  more  profitable, 
especially  in  the  case  of  little  children."  Having 
expressed  this  opinion,  he  notices  an  objection  to 
which  it  was  liable,  founded  upon  the  words  of  our 
Lord  addressed  to  those  parents,  who  brought  their 
children  to  him  to  receive  his  blessing.  "It  is  true," 
he  observes,  "our  Lord  says,  suffer  little  children, 
and  forbid  them  not  to  come  to  me."  To  this  he 
replies,  "Then  let  them  come,  when  they  are  grown." 
On  this  testimony  I  remark,  that  it  is  evident  that 
the  baptism  of  infants  was  then  common;  otherwise, 
it  would  have  been  unnecessary  for  Tertullian  to 
give  his  advice  in  favor  of  delay.  But  while  he  ad- 
vises delay,  he  does  not  pretend  that  the  practice  of 
7 


74  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

infant  baptism  was  wrong  in  itself;  but  delay  is  re 
commended,  lest  children  after  baptism  should  fall 
into  sin.      And  for  a  similar  reason,  he  advises  the 
delay  of  baptism  in  the  case  of  unmarried  persons, 
lest  they  should  afterwards  fall  into  temptation.     It 
is  moreover  evident  from  the  testimony  of  Tertullian 
not  only  that  it  was  then  common  in  the  church  to 
baptize  infants,  but  that  the  words  of  our  Lord,  "suf- 
fer little  children  and  forbid  them  not  to  come  to  me  " 
were  regarded  as  furnishiiig  an  argument  in  support 
of  the  right  of  infant  baptism.     And   the  reply  of 
Tertullian  shows  conclusively,  that  he  was  unable  to 
meet  the  argument.     With  the  opinions  of  this  learn- 
ed but  erratic  father,  we  are  not  concerned.     On  va- 
rious subjects,  his  views  were  wild  and  visionary. 
His  opposition  to  the  baptism  of  children,  and  like- 
wise of  unmarried  persons,  had  its  origin  in  super- 
stitious views  of  the  ordinance  itself;  and  his  recom-' 
mendation  of  the  delay  of  baptism,  when  taken  in 
connection  with  his  reasons  for  it,  affords  conclusive 
evidence  that  it  was  then  the  practice  of  the  church 
to  baptize  infants. 

The  next  witness,  who  bears  decided  testimony  to 
the  fact,  that  it  was  the  practice  of  the  primitive 
church  to  baptize  infants,  is  the  famous  Origen,  who 
was  born  in  the  latter  part  of  the  second  century. 
He  was  a  man  of  great  learning  and  one  of  the  most 
distinguished  writers  of  his  age.  When  speaking  on 
the  subject  of  the  original  depravity  of  our  nature, 
Origen  in  the  first  place  establishes  the  truth  by  the 
authority  of  scripture,  and  then  shows  that  it  was  a 
doctrine  which  the  church  had  always  maintained, 
as  is  evident  from  her  practice,  in  relation  to  the 
baptism  of  infants.  "Let  it  be  considered,"  says  he, 
"  >vhat  is  the  reason,  that  whereas  the  baptism  of  the 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  75 

church,  is  given  for  forgiveness  of  sins,  infants  also, 
are  by  the  usage  of  the  church  baptized;  when,  if 
there  were  nothing  in  infants  that  wanted  forgiveness 
and  mercy,  the  grace  of  baptism  would  be  needless 
to  them.  Again,  he  observes,  "  The  church  had 
from  the  apostles  an  order  to  give  baptism  to  infants; 
for  they  to  whom  the  divine  mysteries  were  commit- 
ted, knew  that  there  is  in  all  persons,  the  natural 
pollution  of  sin,  which  must  be  washed  away  by 
water  and  the  Spirit."  It  wilb  be  perceived  that 
Origen,  in  these  passages,  argues  in  support  of  the 
doctrine  of  original  sin  from  the  practice  of  infant 
baptism.  This,  then,  must  have  been  in  his  age,  the 
uncontroverted  usage  of  the  church;  otherwise  his 
reasoning  would  have  been  inconclusive.  According 
to  the  testimony  of  Origen,  then,  the  church  was  in- 
structed by  the  apostles  to  give  baptism  to  infants; 
and  such  was  the  practice  of  the  church  from  the 
beginning  to  the  middle  of  the  third  century,  at 
which  time  the  labors  of  this  distinguished  writer 
terminated. 

One  of  the  most  eminent  fathers  of  the  third  cen- 
tury was  Cyprian,  bishop  of  Carthage,  who,  after 
an  active  and  useful  life  suffered  martyrdom  in  the 
year  A.  D.  258.  During  the  life  of  Cyprian,  in  the 
year  A.  D.  250,  a  christian  council  was  held  in  Car- 
thage, composed  of  sixty-six  ministers  of  the  gospel. 
Among  the  subjects  which  came  before  this  assembly, 
one  was,  Whether  the  baptism  of  a  child  should  be 
confined  to  the  eighth  day,  as  was  the  divine  ap- 
pointment in  the  case  of  circumcision.  A  certain 
individual  of  the  name  of  Fidus,  had  contended  for 
the  affirnjative  of  this  question.  It  was  admitted 
universally  that  baptism  had  succeeded  circumcision. 
And  hence  Fidus  concluded  that  baptism,  like  cjr- 


76  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

cumcision,  should  be  administered  on  the  eighth  day. 
Accordingly,  the  subject,  canrie  before  the  council. 
In  a  letter  written  Ijy  Cyprian,  after  the  adjournment 
of  the  council,  we  are  informed,  that  the  members 
were  entirely  unanimous  in  the  decision  that  baptism 
should  not  be  confined  to  any  particular  day. 

Here,  then,  we  have  an  assembly  of  christian  min- 
isters, sixty-six  in  number,  convened  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years  after  the  death  of  the  apostle 
John.  Among  all  the  members  of  this  assembly, 
there  was  no  diversity  of  opinion  as  to  the  fact,  that 
baptism  had  succeeded  circumcision.  Neither  did 
any  one  pretend  to  call  in  question,  the  right  of 
infant  baptism.  The  only  question,  which  was  agi- 
tated, was  whether  baptism,  like  circumcision,  should 
be  administered  on  the  eighth  day.  And  the  unani- 
mous decision  of  the  council  was,  that  baptism  might 
be  administered  at  any  time,  either  before  or  after 
the  eighth  day,  according  to  circumstances.  Such 
was  the  doctrine  and  practice  of  the  church  during 
the  third  century. 

The  greatest  luminary  in  the  ecclesiastical  firma- 
ment in  the  latter  part  of  the  fourth,  and  in  the  early 
part  of  the  fifth  century,  was  the  famous  Augustine, 
bishop  of  Hippo.  During  this  age,  the  peace  of  the 
church  was  greatly  disturbed  by  Pelagius,  the  monk, 
who  denied  the  doctrine  of  the  original  depravity  of 
human  nature,  and  taught  that  a  child,  at  its  birth, 
is  as  free  from  sin  as  Adam  was,  when  he  was  at 
first  created  in  the  image  of  God.  In  the  person  of 
Augustine,  God  raised  up  an  able  advocate  of  the 
truth,  in  opposition  to  this  dangerous  heresy.  An 
argument  with  which  Pelagius  wa.^ exceedingly  per- 
plexed, and  one  by  which  his  doctrine  was  effectually 
exposed  as  an  innovation  upon  the  faith  of  the  church, 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  77 

was  drawn  from  the  universally  admitted  usage  of 
the  church,  in  relation  to  the  haptism  of  infants.  It 
was  the  well  known  practice  ol'  the  church,  to  ad- 
minister baptism  to  iniants,  for  the  remission  of  sins. 
"VVhy  then,"  inquired  Augustine,  "does  the  church 
give  baptism  to  infants,  for  the  remission  of  sin,  if 
they  are  already  free  from  the  contamination  of  sin?" 
This  question  gave  Pelagius  no  little  difficulty.  But 
on  the  supposition,  that  the  practice  of  baptizing  in- 
fants had  been  introduced  into  the  church  by  mere 
human  authority,  it  would  have  been  exceedingly 
convenient  for  Pelagius  to  have  denied  the  right  of 
infant  baptism.  But  does  tliis  learned  adversary  of 
the  truth  either  dispute  the  fact,  or  call  in  question 
the  propriety  of  the  practice  of  the  church?  He  is 
so  far  from  both  the  one  and  the  other,  that  he  even 
complains  that  some  had  slandered  him,  by  represent- 
ing him  as  denying  the  right  of  infant  baptism.  And 
he  not  only  admits  that  it  was  the  universal  practice 
of  the  church,  but  he  declares,  that  he  had  never 
heard,  "ew/?.  of  an  impioim  heretic  who  denied  that 
infants  shoidd  be  baptized.'''' 

The  writings  of  Augustine  furnish  abundant  evi- 
dence, that  it  was  not  only  in  the  age  in  which  he 
lived,  the  universal  practice  of  the  christian  church, 
to  baptize  infants,  but  that  it  was  on  all  hands  ad- 
mitted, that  this  had  been  the  uniform  practice  of  the 
church  from  the  days  of  the  apostles.  This  subject 
is  very  frequently  referred  to  by  this  venerable  lather, 
in  his  controversial  writings  both  with  the  Pelagians 
and  the  Donatists.  And  it  is  particularly  worthy  of 
remark,  that  the  object  of  Augustine  in  referring  to 
infant  baptism  is  not  so  much  to  prove  that  the  prac- 
tice of  the  church  was  scriptural,  as  to  argue  from 
what  all  admitted  to  be  correct  usage,  in  support  of 
7* 


78  LECTURES    OX    BAPTISM. 

the  conclusion  which  he  wished  to  establish.  In  his 
controversy  with  the  Pelagians  his  object  was  to 
establish  the  doctrine  of  the  original  corruption. of 
our  nature.  This  doctrine  he  establishes  by  the 
authority  of  scripture,  and  then  shows,  that  it  was 
the  received  faith  of  the  church,  from  the  days  of  the 
apostles,  as  was  evident  from  the  universal  practice 
of  the  church  in  baptizing  infants  for  the  remission 
of  sin.  Pelagius,  without  any  hesitation,  admitted 
that  such  was  the  universal  custom.  Though  he  had 
travelled  extensively  among  the  churches  in  Europe, 
Asia  and  Africa,  and  though  he  was  a  man  of  learn- 
ing and  of  extensive  research,  yet  he  declares  that 
he  had  never  heard  of  any  one  who  denied  the  pro- 
priety of  baptizing  infants. 

The  Donatists  were  a  sect  who  withdrew  from  the 
communion  of  the  general  church,  not  on  account  of 
any  diversity  of  opinion  with  regard  to  the  doctrines 
of  the  gospel,  but  on  account  of  a  difficulty  connected 
with  a  matter  involving  ecclesiastical  order.  They 
would  not  acknowledge  the  validity  of  the  ministra- 
tions of  the  general  church.  And  hence  they  bap- 
tized any  who  came  over  to  their  community  from 
the  general  church.  Against  the  unreasonable  ri- 
gidity of  this  sect  Augustine's  pen  was  successfully 
employed.  From  the  nature  of  the  controversy,  the 
subject  of  baptism  is  often  introduced.  And  referring 
to  the  practice  of  the  church  in  giving  baptism  to 
infants,  Augustine  represents  it  as  a  usage,  ^'■he.ld 
by  the  universal  churchy  not  appointed  by  councils, 
but  ordained  by  apostolical  authority.''''* 

With  these  historical  testimonies  before  us,  we  are 
fully  sustained  in  the  conclusion,  that  infant  baptisni 

*  Aug.  contra  Don.  lib.  4,  chap.  24. 


LECTURES    OS    BAPTISM.  79 

was  universally  practised  in  the  chrtstian  church, 
from  the  days  of  the  apostles  to  the  time  of  Augus- 
tine, in  the  early  part  of  the  fifth  century. 

That  infant  baptism  was  common  in  the  church 
from  the  age  of  Augustine,  down  to  the  period  of  the 
reformation,  will  not  be  denied  by  any  who  are  at 
all  conversant  with  ecclesiastical  history.  It  is  a 
fact  with  which  protestants,  at  least,  are  familiar, 
that  during  the  period  in  the  history  of  the  church, 
usually  denominated  "the  dark  ages,"  there  was  no 
part  of  the  world  in  which  the  lamp  of  evangelical 
truth  emitted  so  clear  a  light  as  in  the  vallies  of  Pied- 
mont, among  the  Waldenses.  In  this  sequestered 
portion  of  the  globe  there  was  a  remnant,  who,  when 
pure  and  undefiled  religion  had,  in  a  manner,  retired 
from  public  view,  maintained  the  truth  and  worship- 
ped God  in  the  spirit  of  the  gospel.  It  will,  therefore, 
be  interesting  to  know  in  what  light  infant  baptism 
was  regarded  by  these  witnesses  for  the  truth.  I  am 
aware  that  some  writers  who  oppose  infant  baptism, 
claim  the  inhabitants  of  the  vallies  as  witnesses  in 
their  favor.  And  the  fact  that  some  individuals,  and 
possibly  some  minor  sects,  who  were  classed  by  their 
opponents  under  the  general  name  of  Waldenses, 
were  unfriendly  to  the  baptism  of  infants,  gives  some 
degree  of  plausibility  to  this  claim.  From  the  time 
when  the  Roman  church  gave  the  sanction  of  her 
authority  to  the  worship  of  images,  the  invocation  of 
departed  saints,  transubstantiation,  and  other  danger- 
ous errors,  there  arose  in  different  parts  of  Christen- 
dom, various  persons,  who,  in  one  form  or  other, 
testified  against  the  reigning  corruptions.  Among 
all  those  denominations,  who  lifted  up  a  standard  for 
the  truth,  and  in  opposition  to  these  pernicious  errors, 
the  Waldenses  were  the  most  numerous  and  the  most 


80  LECTURES    ON    BAPTIS^^r. 

respectable.  And  lienco  their  adversaries,  the  devor 
tees  of  the  Roman  see,  sometimes  represented  all 
who  opposed  the  tyranny  and  the  corruption  of  the 
Roman  church  under  the  general  name  of  VValden- 
ses.  Some  of  these  sects  were  exceedingly  corrupt, 
and  agreed  with  the  VValdenses,  properly  so  called, 
in  almost  nothing,  save  in  their  opposition  to  papal 
tyranny.  Such  were  the  Manichees,  who  rejected 
baptism  with  water  altogether,  whether  in  the  case 
of  infants  or  adults.  The  Petrobrussians,  the  follow- 
ers of  Peter  de  Bruys,  appear  to  have  opposed  the 
baptism  of  infants,  upon  the  ground,  that  they  were 
incapable  both  of  faith  and  of  salvation.  But  as  to 
the  Waldenses  themselves,  properly  so  called,  that 
they  practised  infant  baptism,  is  abundantly  evident 
from  their  own  confessions  of  I'aith.  And  in  addition 
to  the  evidence  furnished  by  their  own  writings,  their 
descendants  of  the  present  day,  not  only  baptize  in- 
fants, but  declare  that  such  was  always  the  practice 
of  their  ancestors. 

And  when  the  light  of  the  reformation  broke  forth 
upon  the  world,  when  the  traditions  of  the  fathers 
were  brought  down  from'  that  eminence  which  they 
had  usurped,  and  the  sacred  scriptures  were  exalted 
to  their  proper  place,  what  vvas  the  doctrine  of  the 
reformers?  On  whatever  other  points  there  may 
have  existed  some  diversity  of  opinion  on  the  subject 
of  infant  baptism,  there  was  among  the  noble  band 
of  reformers  entire  agreement.  Luther  and  Melanc- 
thon,  in  Germany;  Zuingle,  in  Switzerland;  Calvin, 
in  Geneva;  Knox,  in  Scotland;  Cranmer,  and  his 
associates,  in  England;  all  united  in  regarding  infant 
baptism  as  a  doctrine  of  scripture.  And  when  we 
consider,  in  connection  with  the  argument  from 
scripture,  the  evidence   which   historv  aftbrds,  that 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  81 

this  doctrine  has  been  held  by  the  church  in  every 
age,  from  the  days  of  the  apostles  down  to  the  glori-. 
ous  era  of  the  retbrmation;  and  then  that  it  occupies  a 
place  in  the  religious  confessions  of  the  reformed 
church  in  every  nation  to  which  the  light  of  the  re- 
formation extended,  we  cannot  entertain  a  doubt  that 
it  is  a  doctrine  embraced  in  the  faith  once  delivered 
to  the  saints. 


LECTURE  IV. 


MODE    OF    BAPTISM. 


In  entering  upon  the  consideration  of  the  proper 
manner  of  administering  the  rite  of  baptism,  it  may 
be  proper  to  make  a  remark  with  regard  to  the 
peculiar  nature  of  those  ordinances  which  are  de- 
nominated sacraments.  It  is  a  characteristic  of  a 
sacrament,  that  it  presents  to  our  view  spiritual 
things,  through  the  medium  of  an  external  and  visi- 
tble  sign.  In  a  sacrament,  there  are,  therefore, 
two  things  to  be  considered,  the  visible  sign  and 
ihe  thing  of  which,  by  divine  appointment,  the 
sign  is  significant.  In  the  sacrament  of  baptism, 
the  external  sign  is  water.  One  of  the  most  com- 
mon uses  to  which  water  is  applied,  and  to  which 
there  is  reference  in  this  sacrament,  is  washing. 
The  application  of  water  to  the  body  of  the  per- 
son baptized,  is  significant  of  the  necessity  of  cleans- 
ing, while  at  the  same  time,  it  teaches  by  an  ex- 
pressive figurative  action  that  the  means  of  purifi- 
cation have  been  provided.  While  the  author  of 
baptism  very  emphatically  proclaims  in  this  insti- 
tution that  we  are  unclean,  and  therefore  must  be 
washed,  he  no  less  distinctly  declares  that  there 
is  a  fountain  opened  for  sin  and  for  uncleanness. 
But  no  one  who  understands  the  nature  and  de- 
sign of  this  ordinance,  will  maintain  that  it  is  the 
cleansing  of  the  body  from  external  defilement, 
which  is  signified  by  baptism.  That  man's  heart 
Is  not  fight  with  God,  is  the  humbling  truth,  which 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  83 

is  significantly  taught  in  this  institution;  and  by 
the  application  of  a  cleansing  element,  is  proclaim- 
ed the  necessity  of  the  removal  of  the  moral  pol- 
lution of  sin  Trom  the  soul.  But,  it  is  perfectly 
evident,  that  this  important  end  cannot  be  effected 
by  water,  no  matter  what  may  be  the  mode  of  its 
application,  or  the  quantity  which  may  be  used. 
It  is  not  the  water  of  baptism,  but  the  blood  of 
Jesus  Christ,  which  cleanseth  from  all  sin;  and 
of  the  purifying  efficacy  of  this  atoning  blood,  wa- 
ter, in  the  sacrament  of  baptism,  is  the  significant 
emblem.  There  is,  consequently,  an  evident  im- 
propriety in  making  the  validity  of  baptism  depend 
upon  the  quantity  of  the  external  sign  which  is 
used,  or  the  particular  manner  in  which  the  wa- 
ter is  applied  to  the  body. 

Our  brethren  regard  it  as  essential  to  baptism, 
that  the  body  of  the  person  baptized  be  completely 
immersed  in  water.  They  allege  that  the  only 
proper  signification  of  the  original  term  translated 
baptism,  is  immersion;  and  from  this  position  they 
draw  the  conclusion,  that  there  is  no  baptism  where 
there  is  not  an  immersion  of  the  whole  body  in 
water.  Let  us  for  a  moment  suppose,  that  the  po- 
sition assumed  is  correct.  Are  our  brethren  con- 
sistent with  themselves  in  their  manner  of  reason- 
ing? Why  do  they  attach  so  much  importance  to 
the  supposed  meaning  of  a  term  in  the  sacrament 
of  baptism,  as  to  make  the  validity  of  the  ordi- 
nance depend  upon  the  mode  of  its  administration, 
while  no  such  importance  is  attached  to  the  real 
and  admitted  meaning  of  the  word  employed  in 
that  sacrament,  which  was  instituted  in  memory 
of  our  Lord's  death?  With  regard  to  this  latter 
institution,  every  one  knows  that  it  is  denomina- 


84  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

ted  a  supper  and  a  feast.  And  it  will  not  be  de- 
nied, that  the  true  and  proper  import  of  the  term 
employed  with  reference  to  this  sacrament,  is  a 
supper.  If  the  import  of  the  term  was  in  any  de- 
gree ambiguous,  all  ambiguity  is  removed  by  the 
circumstances  connected  with  the  original  appoint- 
ment of  this  ordinance.  It  was  instituted  in  the 
evening  of  the  day,  immediately  after  our  Lord 
and  his  disciples  had  observed  the  paschal  supper. 
This  sacrament,  then,  is  confessedly  denominated 
a  supper  and  a  feast.  And  yet,  do  our  brethren, 
in  the  observation  of  the  Lord's  supper,  partake 
of  any  thing  which  looks  like  a  literal  supper  or 
feast?  Do  they  consider  it  necessary  to  celebrate 
the  sacred  supper,  which  commemorates  the  death 
of  our  Lord,  in  the  evening  of  the  day?  Does  the 
participation  of  a  morsel  of  bread  and  a  taste  of 
wine,  in  the  Eucharist,  bear  any  greater  resem- 
blance to  a  feast,  than  the  application  of  a  little 
water  to  the  face,  does  to  the  washing  of  the  whole 
body  in  water?  Why  then  is  the  validity  of  the 
one  sacrament  made  to  depend  upon  the  mode  of 
administration,  while  no  such  importance  is  attach- 
ed to  the  mode,  in  the  observation  of  the  other? 
To  these  questions,  no  satisfactory  answer  can  be 
given,  consistently  with  the  principles  and  practice 
of  our  brethren. 

But  though  there  is  an  inconsistency  in  making 
such  a  distinction  between  these  two  sacraments,  it 
is  freely  conceded,  that  in  every  ordinance,  what- 
ever is  divinely  appointed,  should  be  carefully  ob- 
served. VVe  all  agree,  that  in  baptism  water  is  the 
element  which  must  be  used.  And  1  most  freely 
admit,  that  if  in  the  institution  of  baptism  our  Lord 
has   appointed    the    particular    mode   according    to 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  85 

which  the  water  should  be  applied,  it  is  obligatory 
upon  the  church  to  conform  strictly  to  the  divine 
appointment. 

It  is  maintained  by  our  brethren,  that  it  is  essen- 
tial to  the  proper  administration  of  baptism,  that 
the  whole  body  should  be  put  under  water.  And 
in  support  of  this  hypothesis,  their  principal  argu- 
ment is  drawn  from  the  supposed  signification  of  the 
original  terms,  which  are  translated,  baptize  and 
baptism.  These  terms,  they  contend,  convey  the 
idea  of  immersion  only,  and  consequently,  their  con- 
clusion is,  that  where  there  is  not  an  immersion  in 
water,  of  the  person  baptized,  there  is  no  baptism. 

In  opposition  to  this  hypothesis,  I  do  not  hesitate 
to  maintain,  that  there  is  not  a  single  instance  in  the 
whole  New  Testament,  in  which  either  of  these 
words  is  used,  where  the  sense  of  the  passage  re- 
quires us  to  suppose  that  there  was  an  actual  im- 
mersion, or  where  the  circumstances  of  the  case 
prove  that  there  really  was  an  immersion;  while 
there  are  instances  in  which  these  terms  are  employ- 
ed in  a  sense  which  is  utterly  inconsistent  with  the 
idea  of  immersion.  And  if  this  position  can  be 
sustained,  it  is  perfectly  plain  that  the  chief  argu- 
ment in  support  of  the  exclusive  claims  of  immer- 
sion, will  be  at  once  overthrown.  Our  appeal  then 
is  to  the  law  and  the  testimony.  And  let  me  remark 
generally,  that  the  true  import  of  the  words  baptize 
and  baptism,  Avhen  used  with  reference  to  a  chris- 
tian institution,  is  to  be  determined  not  by  the  use 
which  is  made  of  them  by  classic  authors,  who  knew 
nothing  about  christian  baptism,  but  by  scriptural 
usage.  Let  us  suppose  for  the  present  that  Homer 
and  Hesiod,  and  Aristotle  and  Herodotus,  and  other 
classic  authors,  more  commonly  employ  the  Greek 
8 


86  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

word,  which  is  translated  baptize^  to  convey  the 
idea  of  imnnersion.  Let  this  be  granted,  which  to 
say  the  least,  is  all  that  the  scholar  can  claim;  still, 
it  would  by  no  means  follow,  that  the  sacred  writers 
use  the  word  in  precisely  the  same  sense,  in  refer- 
ence to  an  institution,  of  which  these  heathen  authors 
had  no  knowledge.  That  with  which  we  are  con- 
cerned, let  it  be  particularly  remembered,  is  not  clas- 
sic, but  scriptural  usage. 

In  eiideavoring  to  ascertain  what  is  the  scriptural 
mode  of  administering  baptism,  we  naturally  direct 
our  attention  to  the  primitive  institution  of  the  ordi- 
nance. The  account  given  of  the  original  institu- 
tion of  this  sacrament,  is  in  the  following  words: 
"Go  ye  therefore  and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing 
them  in  the  name  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son  and 
of  the  Holy  Ghost."  In  this  declaration,  we  dis- 
cover nothing  which  indicates  any  particular  mode 
of  baptism,  except  in  so  far  as  it  is  determined  by 
the  word  baptizing.  Tn  order  therefore  to  ascertain 
the  import  of  the  word  as  employed  by  our  Lord, 
we  must  search  the  scriptures  to  see  in  what  sense 
it  is  employed  elsewhere;  as  there  is  nothing  here 
which  determines  what  is  its  signification.  If  the 
scriptures  uniformly  employ  it  for  the  purpose  of 
conveying  the  idea  of  immersion,  then  of  course  it 
will  follow,  that  the  scriptural  mode  of  baptism  is  by 
immersion.  But  if  the  word  is  often  used  where  the 
idea  of  immersion  is  not  only  not  necessary  to  the 
sense  of  the  sacred  writer,  but  altogether  inconsis- 
tent with  it,  then  it  is  plain,  as  already  observed, 
that  the  main  argument  in  support  of  the  claims  of 
immersion,  deduced  from  the  signification  of  the 
word  baptize,  at  once  falls  to  the  ground. 

.  And  in  the  determination  of  this  question,  which 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  87 

is  a  matter  of  interest,  not  to  the  scholar  merely, 
but  to  the  humble  christian,  who  desires  to  know  and 
do  his  Lord's  will,  our  appeal  shall  be,  not  to  Greek 
Lexicons,  nor  to  pagan  classics,  but  to  the  plain  lan- 
guage of  the  New  Testament. 

1.  Let  me  direct  your  attention  to  examples  of 
the  use  of  the  word  baptize,  in  which  it  does  not  con- 
vey the  idea  of  immersion.  And  in  the  very  first 
instance  in  which  the  word  is  employed  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  christian  church,  it  is  used  to  convey  the 
idea  of  ^'^poiiring  out.''''  "John  truly  baptized  with 
water,  but  ye  shall  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
not  many  days  hence."*  Here  is  a  promise  given 
to  the  apostles  by  our  Lord,  that  they  should  be  bap- 
tized with  the  Holy  Ghost.  And  in  the  following 
chapter,  we  have  the  history  of  the  fulfilment  of  this 
promise.  But  in  what  manner  were  the  apostles 
baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost?  The  only  answer 
which  can  be  given  to  this  question,  rebukes  the  pre- 
tensions of  those  who  claim  for  the  word  baptize,  the 
exclusive  sense  of  immersion.  The  apostles  of  our 
Lord  were  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  by  having 
his  divine  influences  poiired  out  upon  them.  Ac- 
cordingly the  apostle  Peter  accounts  for  this  remark- 
able event,  by  saying  to  those  who  beheld  it  with 
amazement,  ^-This  is  that  which  was  spoken  by  the 
prophet  Joel;  and  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  the  last 
days,  saith  God,  I  will  pour  out  of  my  Spirit  upon 
all  flesh."!  Another  example  of  the  same  kind  is 
furnished  in  the  history  of  the  ajoostle  Peter's  labors 
in  the  house  of  Cornelius;  "While  Peter  yet  spake 
these  words,  the  Holy  Ghost  fell  on  all  them  which 
heard  the  word."     And  the  Jews  who  were  present 

*Acts  1:5.  tActs  2:17: 


88  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

on  this  occasion  were  astonished,  "because,  that  on 
the  Gentiles  also,  was  poured  out  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Ghost."*  When  Peter  was  called  to  account 
by  his  Jewish  brethren,  who  preferred  against  him 
the  charge,  "Thou  wentest  in  to  men  uncircum- 
cised,  and  didst  eat  with  them,"  his  reply  was,  "As 
1  began  to  speak,  the  Holy  Ghost  fell  on  them, 
as  on  us  at  the  beginning.  Then  remembered  I  the 
words  of  the  Lord,  how  that  he  said,  John  indeed 
baptized  with  water,  but  ye  shall  be  baptized  with 
the  Holy  Ghost. "f  Here  again,  those  persons  on 
whom  the  Holy  Ghost  fell^  or  was  'poured  out^  are 
said  to  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  And  the 
humble,  unlettered  christian,  who  can  read  his  bible, 
and  in  simplicity  believe  it,  can  see  that  in  these  in- 
stances, the  individuals  spoken  of,  received  baptism, 
not  by  immersion,  but  by  having  that  with  which 
they  were  baptized,  poured  out  upon  them.  And  if 
the  baptism  of  the  Spirit  was  communicated  to  those 
who  were  the  subjects  of  it,  by  pouring  out  his  in- 
fluences upon  them,  then  it  is  as  clear  as  the  light, 
that  baptism  with  water,  may  be  scripturally  admin- 
istered by  pouring  water  upon  the  person  baptized. 
Take  another  example,  which  is  equally  irrecon- 
cilable with  the  hypothesis,  that  the  word  baptize 
signifies  exclusively,  to  immerse.  In  his  epistle  to 
the  Corinthians,  the  apostle  says,  "Brethren,  I  would 
not  that  ye  should  be  ignorant,  how  that  all  our  fa- 
thers were  under  the  cloud,  and  all  passed  through 
the  sea,  and  were  all  baptized  unto  Moses  in  the 
cloud  and  in  the  sea. "J  According  to  the  apostle, 
then,  the  Israelites  were  baptized  in  the  sea.  But, 
in  what  manner  were  they  baptized?     Were  they 

*  Acts  10  :  45.     t  Acts  U  :  15,  IG.     t  1  Cor.  10  : 1,  2. 


LECTURES    Om    BAPTIS3I.  69 

plunged  into  the  sea?  It  is  absolutely  certain  that 
they  were  not.  What  says  the  history  on  this  sub- 
ject? "The  children  of  Israel  walked  upon  dry  land 
in  the  midst  of  the  sea,  and  the  waters  were  a  wall 
unto  them  on  their  right  hand  and  on  their  left."* 
Will  it  be  pretended,  that  the  word  baptized  in  this 
instance  conveys  the  idea  of  any  thing  like  immer- 
sion? What!  A  passage  through  the  sea  was  open- 
ed sufficiently  wide  for  the  thousands  of  Israel  to 
pass  through,  so  that  they  walked  on  dry  ground, 
and  yet  will  it  be  said,  that  they  were  plunged  in 
the  sea?  It  would  surely  be  useless  to  undertake  to 
reason  with  a  man  who  can  bring  himself  to  believe 
that  to  walk  on  dry  land  through  the  sea,  and  to  be 
immersed  in  the  sea,  are  the  same  thing! 

And  here,  permit  me  to  remark,  that  in  this  case, 
there  is  no  necessity  for  criticisms  on  the  original 
text,  which  the  common  christian  cannot  under- 
stand. There  is  no  need  to  call  in  the  help  of  learned 
Lexicons  to  determine  the  meaning  of  a  Greek  word. 
The  humble  and  teachable  disciple  of  Christ,  who 
can  read  the  word  of  God  in  his  own  language,  can 
easily  see  that  the  word  baptized  in  this  place  does 
not  convey  the  idea  of  immersion;  and  consequent- 
ly, that  they  who  assert  that  the  only  meaning  of 
the  word  baptize,  is  to  immerse,  make  a  declaration 
which  is  much  more  remarkable  for  its  boldness, 
than  for  its  truth. 

2.  Having  seen  that  the  sacred  writers  employ 
the  term  baptize  where  the  idea  of  immersion  is  en- 
tirely inadmissible,  let  me  now  call  your  attention  to 
some  examples,  in  which  the  words  baptize  and  bap- 
tism are  used  to  convey  the  idea  of  loashing,  with- 

*  Exodus  14  :  29. 


90  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

out  designating  particularly  the  mode  in  which  the 
cleansing  element  is  applied.  On  a  particular  occa- 
sion our  Lord  was  invited  to  dine  with  a  Pharisee. 
And  as  he  did  not  conform  to  those  rites  of  purification 
which  this  Jewish  sect  were  accustomed  to  observe, 
we  are  informed  that  the  Pharisee  "marvelled,  that, 
he  had  not  first  washed  (baptized)  before  dinner."* 
One  of  the  traditions  of  the  Pharisees  required,  that 
after  mingling  in  society,  they  should  wash  their 
hands  before  they  sat  down  to  meat,  lest,  by  having 
come  into  contact  with  some  person  or  thing  that 
was  unclean,  they  might  have  contracted  ceremonial 
pollution.  Hence,  they  came  to  Jesus  on  a  particu- 
lar occasion,  inquiring,  "Why  do  thy  disciples  trans- 
gress the  tradition  of  the  Elders?  for  they  wash  not 
their  hands  when  they  eat  bread. "f  The  Pharisee, 
with  whom  our  Lord  had  been  invited  to  dine,  was 
surprised  to  see  that  he,  whom  he  doubtless  regard- 
ed as  a  distinguished  prophet,  should  neglect  to  ob- 
serve this  tradition  of  the  Elders,  and  sit  down  to 
meat  without  having  previously  washed  his  hands. 
"He  marvelled  that  he  had  not  first  baptized  before 
dinner."  Here  the  word  baptized  does  not  desig- 
nate any  particular  mode  of  applying  water,  but 
simply  conveys  the  idea  of  ceremonial  cleansing  by 
the  use  of  water. 

And  it  is  worthy  of  particular  notice,  that  the 
evangelists,  Matthew  and  Mark,  when  referring  to 
this  same  pharisaic  custom,  employ  a  different  word 
to  convey  the  idea  of  washing,  and  one  which  is 
never  used  in  the  sense  of  immersion.  Not  only  so, 
but  the  evangelist  Mark,  after  having  used  a  term 
which  is  employed  to  signify  the  washing  of  differ- 

*  Luke  11  :  38.  t  Matthew  15:2. 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  91 

ent  parts  of  the  body,  such  as  the  hands  or  feet,  but 
which  in  no  case  signifies  the  immersion  of  the 
whole  body,  drops  it,  and  takes  up  the  word  baptize 
with  reference  to  the  same  washing,  observed  by  the 
Pharisees  for  ceremonial  purification.  "For  the 
Pharisees  and  all  the  Jews,  except  they  wash  their 
hands  oft,  eat  not,  holding  the  tradition  of  the  El- 
ders. And  when  they  come  from  the  market,  ex- 
cept they  wash  (baptize)  they  eat  not.  And  many 
other  things  there  be,  which  they  have  received  to 
hold,  as  the  washing  (baptism)  of  cups,  and  pots, 
and  brazen  vessels."*  It  is  evidently  not  of  the 
washing  of  these  domestic  utensils  for  ordinary  pur- 
poses, that  the  sacred  writer  is  here  speaking,  but  of 
that  washing  which  had  for  its  object  the  removal  of 
ceremonial  pollution.  According  to  the  traditions  of 
the  Elders,  there  was  an  almost  infinite  variety  of 
ways  in  which  both  persons  and  things  might  con- 
tract uncleanness.  And  for  the  removal  of  such  un- 
cleanness,  a  corresponding  variety  of  ceremonies 
was  prescribed.  And  these  various  rites  of  purifica- 
tion, some  of  which  at  least,  were  certainly  per- 
formed by  sprinkling  the  water  of  purification  upon 
the  person  or  thing  cleansed,  are  all  represented  by 
the  term  washing  or  baptism.  Here  then  it  is  man- 
ifest, that  the  idea  conveyed  by  the  term  baptism,  is 
not  immersion,  but  simply  cleansing. 

Another  example  of  the  same  kind  occurs  in  the 
description  which  the  apostle  gives  of  the  various 
rites  and  ceremonies,  connected  with  the  service  of 
the  first  tabernacle.  "Which  stood  only  in  meats 
and  drinks,  and  divers  washings^  (baptisms^)  and 
carnal  ordinances,  imposed  on  them  until  the  time 

*  Mark  7  :  3,  4. 


92  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

of  reformation."*  Here  the  various  rites  of  purifi- 
cation, divinely  prescribed  under  the  ceremonial  law, 
are  termed  divers  baptisms.  As  it  respects  the  par- 
ticular manner  in  which  these  rites  were  performed, 
it  may  be  remarked  that  there  was  some  diversity. 
But  we  have  only  to  open  the  writings  of  Moses  to 
see  that  one  very  common  mode  of  purification  was, 
by  sprinkling  either  blood  or  water  upon  the  thing 
to  be  purified.  Moses  is  directed  to  take  the  Levites 
from  among  the  children  of  Israel,  and  cleanse  them. 
"And  thus  shalt  thou  do  unto  them  to  cleanse  them: 
sprinkle  water  of  purifying  upon  them.'''-[  By  com- 
ing  in  contact  with  a  dead  body,  ceremonial  unclean- 
ness  was  contracted.  "This  is  the  law,  when  a  man 
dieth  in  a  tent,  all  that  come  into  the  tent,  and  all 
that  is  in  the  tent,  shall  be  unclean  seven  days." 
And  for  the  removal  of  such  uncleanness,  the  follow- 
ing rule  was  established:  "A  clean  person  shall  take 
hyssop  and  dip  it  in  the  water,  and  sprinkle  it  upon 
the  tent,  and  upon  all  the  vessels,  and  upon  the  per- 
sons that  were  there. ":j:  It  is  then  perfectly  plain 
that  one  of  the  modes  of  cleansing  from  ceremonial 
pollution,  was  by  sprinkling  water  upon  the  y)erson 
or  thing  to  be  cleansed. '  And  the  apostle  referring 
to  the  Levitical  purifications  generally,  represents 
them  as  divers  baptisms.  We  have  thereibre  the 
authority  of  the  apostle  for  saying  that  the  person 
on  whom  the  water  of  baptism  is  sprinkled,  is  bap- 
tized in  a  scriptural  manner. 

With  these  examples  of  the  scriptural  use  of  the 
vi'ords  baptize  and  baptism  before  us,  may  we  not 
say,  how  preposterous  is  it  to  pretend  that  these 
terms  necessarily  convey  the  idea  of  immersion,  and 

*  Hob.  9:10.         t  Num.  8:7.         t  Num.  19:14,  18. 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  93 

that  therefore  it  is  essential  to  the  validity  of  bap- 
tism, that  the  person  be  completely  dipped  in  water! 
It  is  readily  admitted  that  pagan  writers  frequently, 
and  perhaps  more  commonly,  employ  the  word  bap- 
tize in  the  sense  of  dipping  or  plunging.  This  is 
one  of  the  significations  of  the  word;  but  it  is  not  its 
only  nneaning.  It  is  also  used  for  the  purpose  of 
conveying  the  idea,  to  tinge,  to  stain,  to  wash,  to 
cleanse.  But  in  the  New  Testament  with  which  we 
are  concerned,  the  words  in  question  are  used  with 
reference  to  a  rite  which  is  peculiar  to  our  holy  re- 
ligion; and  a  rite  which  is  significant  of  the  necessity 
of  purification  or  cleansing.  And  the  idea  convey- 
ed by  the  words,  baptize  and  baptism,  is  that  of 
washing  or  cleansing,  without  reference  to  the  par- 
ticular mode  in  which  the  water  is  applied.  It  is  not 
however  a  literal  washing,  but  spiritual  cleansing, 
which  is  signified  by  baptism.  Neither  immersion 
nor  sprinkling  would  effect  a  literal  washing.  But 
as  this  is  not  the  design  of  baptism,  it  is  not  neces- 
sary that  the  water  should  be  applied  in  the  same 
manner  in  which  it  is  used  when  we  literally  wash 
ourselves.  As  used  in  baptism,  water  is  applied  to 
the  body  to  signify  the  cleansing  of  the  soul  from 
the  defilement  of  sin,  by  the  application  of  the  blood 
of  atonement  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  And  as  the  face 
is  not  only  the  more  prominent  part  of  the  body, 
but  that  part  which  we  ordinarily  wash,  it  is  there- 
fore appropriate  that  in  baptism,  which  is  significant 
of  spiritual  washing,  water  should  be  applied  to  the 
face.  And  the  examples  to  which  I  have  referred, 
clearly  prove  that  according  to  scripture  usage,  the 
word  baptize  is  employed  to  convey  the  idea  of  wash- 
ing, without  regard  to  the  precise  manner  in  which 
the  cleansing  element   is  applied;   and  that  one  of 


94  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

these  modes  of  washing  was  certainly  by  sprinkling. 
We  have  moreover  seen  that  those  persons  on  whonrj 
the  Holy  Ghost  was  poured  out,  are  said  to  be  bap- 
tized with  the  Holy  Ghost.  Therefore,  we  have  ex- 
press divine  authority  for  saying,  that  they  on  whonci 
water  is  poured  or  sprinkled,  are  baptized  in  a  scrip- 
tural manner. 

Having  seen  that  according  to  scripture  usage,  the 
word  baptize  is  employed  to  convey  the  idea  of  wash- 
ing by  sprinkling  the  cleansing  element,  I  shall  in 
the  next  place  inquire  whether  the  circumstances 
connected  with  the  administration  of  baptism,  as  re- 
corded in  the  sacred  scriptures,  throw  any  light  upon 
the  manner  in  which  the  rite  was  performed. 

1.  And  in  the  first  place,  let  me  direct  your  at- 
tention to  some  examples  in  which  all  the  circum- 
stances are  unfavorable  to  the  claims  of  immersion. 
The  first  instance  of  the  administration  of  baptism 
recorded  in  the  history  of  the  primitive  church,  is 
found  in  the  second  chapter  of  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles.  "Then  they  that  gladly  received  his  word 
were  baptized,  and  the  same  day  there  were  added 
unto  them  about  three  thousand."*  In  this  ex- 
ample, there  is  no  circumstance  mentioned  which 
has  any  reference  to  any  particular  mode  after  which 
these  persons  were  baptized.  The  only  information 
which  the  sacred  historian  gives  us,  is,  that  they 
were  baptized.  But  where  did  this  remarkable  oc- 
currence take  place?  It  was  not  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  some  flowing  river,  but  in  the  city  of  Je- 
rusalem. And  observe,  this  multitude  who  were 
baptized  did  not  assemble  for  the  purpose  of  receiv- 
ing baptism;  and  consequently,  it  cannot  be  suppos- 

■      •  *Acts  2:41. 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  95 

ed  that  they  would  come  with  suitable  clothing  to 
undergo  immersion.  The  Holy  Spirit  had  just  been 
poured  out  upon  the  apostles  in  a  miraculous  man- 
ner, so  that  they  were  enabled  to  preach  in  the  dif- 
ferent tongues  of  the  people  of  every  nation,  then 
at  Jerusalem.  The  report  of  this  miracle  being 
spread  throughout  the  city,  "the  multitude  came  to- 
gether." To  the  assembled  multitude  the  apostle 
Peter  preached  the  gospel.  After  giving  an  abstract 
of  his  sermon,  the  historian  adds,  "And  with  many 
other  words,  did  he  testify  and  exhort  saying,  save 
yourselves  from  this  untoward  generation."  After 
the  apostle  had  given  them  a  view  of  their  guilty 
and  exposed  condition;  had  unfolded  to  them  the 
plan  of  salvation  through  that  Jesus  whom  they  had 
crucified,  and  had  explained  the  nature  and  obliga^ 
tions  of  baptism,  and  the  duty  of  receiving  it,  they 
were  the  subjects  of  conviction;  and  in  obedience  to 
the  divine  direction,  professed  their  subjection  to  the 
authority  of  Christ,  by  the  reception  of  baptism. 
They  had  not  been  instructed  in  the  principles  of 
Christianity  beforehand,  so  as  to  assemble  on  this 
occasion  prepared  to  receive  baptism.  And  hence 
a  considerable  portion  of  time  must  have  been  spent 
in  communicating  that  instruction  which  was  neces* 
sary  to  make  an  intelligent  profession  of  their  faith 
in  Christ.  Now,  when  you  consider  tlje  time  which 
must  have  been  consumed  in  instructing  this  multi- 
tude, is  it  reasonable  to  suppose  that  three  thousand 
persons  could  have  been  immersed  during  the  re- 
maining portion  of  that  day?  But  if  we  could  per- 
suade ourselves  to  believe  that  it  was  possible  to  im^ 
merse  so  great  a  number  of  persons  in  so  short  a 
period  of  time,  where  could  a  supply  of  water  be 
found  sufficient  for  the  purpose  of  immersing  such 


96  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

a  multiiude,  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem?  At  the  bot- 
tom of  mount  Moriah,  to*  the  south-east,  flows  the 
fountain  of  Siloam,  which,  says  Jahn  in  his  descrip-* 
tion  of  Jerusalem,  is  "the  only  fountain  whose  wa- 
ters gladdened  the  city."  Remember,  Jerusalem 
was  not  a  christian  city,  whose  inhabitants  were  dis- 
posed to  grant  facilities  to  the  apostles  in  administer- 
ing the  rites  of  a  religion  to  which  they  were  hos- 
tile. They  had  just  crucified  the  author  of  this  re* 
ligion,  and  were  "breathing  out  threatenings  and 
slaughter  against  the  disciples  of  the  Lord  Jesus." 
And  is  it  credible,  that  they  would  have  permitted 
the  apostles  to  pollute  the  pools  of  the  city,  which 
were  intended  for  the  supply  of  the  inhabitants,  by 
immersing  in  them  such  a  multitude?  The  question 
then  returns  upon  us.  Where  could  a  suitable  sup- 
ply of  water  be  procured  for  the  immersion  of  such 
a  multitude?  On  the  east  of  Jerusalem,  between 
the  city  and  the  mount  of  Olives,  is  the  brook  Ke- 
dron.  But  this  is  a  winter  torrent,  in  which  run- 
ning water  is  to  l)e  seen  only  during  the  rainy  sea- 
son. And  at  the  time  of  Peniecost,  in  the  month  of 
May,  which  is  summer  in  Judea,  and  at  which  sea- 
son no  rain  falls  out,  the  channel  of  the  Kedron  was 
doubtless  dry. 

When,  therefore,  all  the  circumstances  of  the  case 
are  duly  considered;  when  you  consider  the  difficulty, 
not  to  say  the  impossibility  of  procuring  a  suitable 
place  within  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  to  immerse  such 
a  multitude  of  persons;  when  you  remember  that  no 
preparations  had  been  made  beforehand  by  the  apos- 
tles for  administering  the  rite,  nor  by  the  multitudes 
for  receiving  it;  and  when  you  consider  how  small  a 
portion  of  the  day  must  have  remained  for  the  ad- 
ministration of  baptism,  after  the  requisite  instruction 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  97 

was  given  to  the  multitude,  preparatory  to  the  recep- 
tion of  it,  we  cannot  but  admit  that  there  are  serious 
difficulties  in  the  way  of  the  hypothesis  which  main- 
tains that  these  three  thousand  converts,  who  were 
baptized  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  were  immersed.  If, 
indeed,  our  Lord  had  positively  ordained  that  baptism 
should  be  performed  by  immersion,  then  of  course  we 
must  submit,  however  impossible  it  may  be  for  us  to 
solve  the  difficulties  which  present  themselves  to  our 
view.  But  this,  we  have  already  seen,  he  has  not 
done.  And  when,  in  addition  to  all  these  conside- 
rations, the  fact  is  kept  in  view,  that  on  the  morning 
of  this  very  day  our  Lord  himself  had  baptized  the 
apostles,  not  by  immersion,  but  by  povring  out  the 
Holy  Spirit  upon  then),  we  can  have  no  hesitation 
in  coming  to  the  conclusion,  that  the  apostles  bapti- 
zed these  converts  in  a  correspondent  manner. 

Turn  your  attention,  in  the  next  place,  to  the  case 
of  the  jailer,  who  was  baptized  in  prison.  After  Paul 
and  Silas  had  been  wantonly  and  cruelly  beaten,  they 
were  committed  to  the  custody  of  the  jailerof  Philippi, 
with  a  particular  charge  to  keep  them  safely.  Having 
received  such  a  charge,  the  jailer  thrust  them  into 
the  inner  prison  and  made  their  feet  fast  in  the  stocks. 
During  the  night,  by  means  of  an  earthquake,  all  the 
doors  of  the  prison  were  thrown  open.  Supposing 
that  the  prisoners  had  made  their  escape,  and  that  he 
would  be  held  accountable,  the  jailer  was  about  to 
lay  violent  hands  upon  himself.  ''  But  Paul  cried 
with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  do  thyself  no  harm,  for 
we  are  all  here."  By  a  remarkable  display  of  divine 
grace,  he  was  awakened  to  a  sense  of  his  danger, 
was  conducted  to  the  Saviour,  "and  was  baptized,  he 
and  all  his  straightway."*'  There  is  nothing  men- 
*  Acts,  16:33. 
9 


98  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

tioned  in  the  narrative,  which  conveys  any  allusion 
to  the  particular  mode,  according  to  which  the  rite 
of  baptism  was  performed.  But  what  are  the  circum- 
stances of  the  case?  Consider  the  time.  It  was  at 
the  hourof  midnight.  Consider  the  place.  It  was 
not  by  the  side  of  a  river,  but  within  the  walls  of  a 
prison.  For  though  Paul  and  Silas  had  been  brought 
out  of  the  inner  prison,  they  were  still  in  prison,  and 
were  not  liberated  until  the  following  day.  Is  it  at 
all  reasonable  to  suppose  that  within  the  walls  of  a 
jail,  there  were  accommodations  adapted  to  the  ad- 
ministration of  baptism  by  immersion?  Is  there  any 
evidence  at  all,  that  there  was  any  thing  like  a  bath 
in  this  prison?  Is  it  usual,  to  provide  so  carefully 
for  the  comfort  of  the  inmates  of  a  prison?  And 
especially,  is  such  the  custom  of  pagan  countries?  It 
is  quite  manifest  that  aH  the  circumstances  are  against 
the  hypothesis,  that  the  jailer  was  baptized  by  inn- 
mersion.  He  procured  water  to  wash  the  bleeding 
backs  of  Paul  and  Silas,  who  had  been  unmercifully 
scourged,  before  they  were  committed  to  prison;  and 
with  a  portion  of  this  water,  it  would  seem,  that  he 
was  baptized,  he  and  all  his  straightway. 

2.  Let  us  now  examine  some  of  those  examples  of 
the  administration  of  baptism,  in  which  it  is  alleged 
that  the  circumstances  favor  the  claims  of  immersion. 
Of  John  the  baptist,  it  is  said,  that  he  "was  baptizing 
in  Enon,  near  to  Salim,  because  there  was  much 
water  there."*  The  inference  which  the  advocates 
of  immersion  draw  from  this  historical  fact,  is,  that 
.John  selected  a  place  where  there  was  much  water, 
with  reference  to  a  particular  manner  of  performing 
the  rite  of  baptism.  And  if,  when  vast  multitudes 
of  people  are  assembled  in  a  southern  latitude  to  spend 

*  John,  3  :  23. 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  99 

days  and  nights  together,  water  is  necessary  for  no 
other  purpose  than  immersion,  there  would  be  some 
force  in  this  inference.  But  if,  under  such  circum- 
stances, a  plentiful  supply  of  water  is  absolutely 
requisite  to  the  safety  as  well  as  to  the  comfort  of 
those  who  are  assembled  together,  then,  this  infer- 
ence is  just  as  destitute  of  any  stable  foundation  as 
"  the  baseless  fabric  of  a  dream."  What  were  the 
circumstances  of  the  case?  John,  a  distinguished 
prophet,  who  had  no  superior  among  all  those  who 
were  born  of  women,  appeared  in  the  land  of  Judea 
and  announced  the  near  approach  of  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.  The  ministry  of  this  illustrious  forerunner 
of  our  Lord  awakened  a  general  and  an  intense 
interest.  Immense  multitudes  flocked  to  hear  him. 
"  Then  went  out  to  him  Jerusalem,  and  all  Judea, 
and  all  the  region  round  about  Jordan."*  Had  not 
John  been  careful  to  select  a  place  for  the  exercise 
of  his  ministry,  where  there  was  a  plentiful  supply 
of  water,  the  multitudes  who  left  their  homes  to  at- 
tend upon  his  instructions,  in  that  warm  climate, 
must  necessarily  have  suffered  very  serious  inconve- 
nience; and,  in  many  instances,  would  have  been 
exposed  to  imminent  danger  of  perishing  in  conse- 
quence of  thirst. 

The  expression,  "John  was  baptizing,"  of  course 
signifies  more  than  that  he  simply  performed  the  rite 
of  baptism.  It  is  descriptive  of  the  exercise  of  his 
ministry,  a  part  being  put  for  the  whole.  He  preach- 
ed to  the  multitudes  who  gathered  around  him.  He 
instructed  them  in  the  nature  of  Messiah's  kingdom, 
which  was  just  about  to  be  established  among  them: 
called  them  to  repentance,  and  warned  them  to  fly 
from  the  wrath  to  come.     And  such  as  embraced  his 

*  Matt.  3  : 5. 


100  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

doctrines,  and  became  his  disciples,  he  baptized. 
Without  any  regard,  then,  to  any  particular  mode  of 
performing  the  rite  of  baptii-m,  an  abundant  supply 
of  water  was  indispensably  necessary,  in  the  circum- 
stances under  which  he  exercised  his  ministry.  There 
is,  consequently,  nothing  in  the  fact  here  mentioned, 
which  cannot  be  explained  in  a  manner  perfectly 
easy  and  natural,  without  supposing  that  John  per- 
formed the  very  laborious  service  of  immersing  the 
vast  multitudes  who  attended  upon  his  instructions. 
We  are  told,  however,  that  John  baptized  in  the 
river  Jordan;  and  that  Jesus  was  baptized  of  John 
in  Jordan.*  And  it  is  alleged  that  such  expressions 
make  it  evident  that  the  rite  was  performed  by  im- 
mersion. To  this  I  reply,  that  the  very  same  lan- 
guage is  used  in  the  immediate  context,  where  it  does 
not  convey  the  idea  of  immersion;  and  consequently 
the  laws  of  correct  interpretation  do  not  require  us  to 
understand  the  expressions  referred  to,  as  indicating 
that  John  baptized  after  the  manner  of  immersion. 
In  the  verse  immediately  preceding,  it  is  said,  "John 
did  baptize  in  the  wilder ness.''^'\  And  in  a  parallel 
passage  we  are  informed  that  "  John  was  baptizing 
in  Enon.'^'^X  No  one  will  pretend  that  these  expres- 
sions signify,  that  John  plunged  his  followers  into 
the  wilderness;  or  that  he  plunged  them  into  Enon. 
On  what  principle,  then,  can  it  be  maintained,  that 
the  very  same  form  of  expression,  in  the  other  case, 
must  be  understood  to  mean,  that  John  plunged  his 
followers  into  the  Jordan.  In  the  former  case,  it 
will  be  admitted  that  the  language  designates  simply 
the  place  where  John  instructed  and  baptized  the 
people,  namely,  in  the  wilderness;  and  why  should 

•      *  Mark,  1  :  .'J— [).         f  Mark,  1:4.         t  Jolin,  3  :  23. 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  101 

it  not,  in  the  lattei-  instance,  be  interpreteql  in  the 
same  manner,  as  indicating  the  place  where  he  bap- 
tized, namely,  at,  or  on%je  borders  of  the  Jordan  / 

Again,  in  tiie  verse  immediately  lollouing,  we  find 
these  words:  "I  indeed  have  baptized  you  with  water, 
but  he  shall  baptize  you  with  the  Holy  Ghost." 
Here,  as  every  scholar  knows,  the  original  word 
translated  with,  is  the  same  which,  in  the  preceding 
verses,  is  rendered  in.  Suppose  we  should  under- 
stand the  Greek  preposition  in  this  verse,  in  the 
sense  on  which  the  argument  in  favor  of  immersion 
is  founded.  *'  1  have  plunged  you  into  water,"  is 
language  which  has  been  so  often  repeated  that  it 
might  be  heard  without  much  concern;  but,  could  the 
pious  ear,  without  being  shocked  at  the  impiety,  hear 
the  expression,  He  shall  immerse  you  into  the  Holy 
Ghost  ? 

In  this  declaration,  there  is  a  contrast  between 
two  different  kinds  of  baptism,  the  baptism  of  water 
and  the  baptism  of  the  Spirit.  Now,  it  so  happens, 
that  we  know  certainly,  in  what  manner  our  Lord 
baptized  his  disciples  with  the  Holy  Spirit;  and  this 
may  assist  us  in  determining,  according  to  what 
mode  John  baptized  his  followers  with  water.  With 
regard  to  the  former,  the  apostle  Peter  says,  "Being 
by  the  right  hand  of  God  exalted,  and  having  re- 
ceived of  the  Father  the  promise  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
he  hath  shed  forth  (poured  out)  this,  which  ye  now 
see  and  hear."  It  is  perfectly  evident,  then,  that 
our  Lord  baptized  his  disciples  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
by  pouring  out  his  divine  influences  upon  them;  and 
why  should  we  not  understand  the  language,  "1  have 
baptized  you  with  water,"  in  the  same  sense,  as 
signifying,  that  John  baptized  his  followers  by  pour- 
ing water  on  them? 
9* 


il02  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

But  who  has  not  heard  of  the  case  of  Philip  and 
'.the  Eunuch?  And  it  is  triumphantly  inquired,  What 
plainer  proof  of  immersion  could  be  desired?  "They 
went  down  both  into  the  water,  both  Philip  and  the 
Eunuch,  and  he  baptized  him."  This  text  of  scrip- 
ture is  continually  reiterated  in  the  hearing  of  the 
illiterate  multitude;  and  it  may  satisfy  those  who  are 
willing  to  be  carried  away  by  the  mere  sound  of 
words;  but  every  scholar  who  can  examine  the  origi- 
nal language,  must  know  that  it  determines  nothing 
at  all  with  regard  to  the  manner  in  which  the  Eunuch 
was  baptized.  Even  should  it  be  granted  that  the 
common  translation  expresses  precisely  the  sense  of 
the  original,  still  no  conclusive  argument  in  support 
of  immersion  could  be  built  upon  it.  They  went 
down  into  the  water,  and  Philip  baptized  the  Eunuch. 
All  this  is  plain  enough.  But  in  what  manner  did 
Philip  baptize  him?  Thitj  is  the  question,  and  on  this 
essential  point  in  the  argument  in  favor  of  immersion, 
this  plain  proof  says  nothing  at  all.  On  what,  I 
would  ask,  does  the  argument  deduced  from  this 
passage  depend?  Is  it  the  expression,  "  they  went 
down  both  into  the  water?"  T  reply,  if  these  words 
prove  that  the  Eunuch  was  immersed,  they  prove 
the  same  thing  in  relation  to  Philip;  for  both  he  and 
the  Eunuch  went  down  into  the  water.  It  must,  then, 
be  something  else  on  which  the  argument  for  immer- 
sion depends.  Is  it  the  word  baptized^  on  which  the 
argument  rests?  I  reply,  this  foundation  is  too  frail 
to  yield  it  support;  for  we  have  already  proved  that 
according  to  scriptural  usage,  the  word  signifies  to 
wash,  either  by  sprinkling,  or  pouring  the  cleansing 
element  on  the  thing  washed;  while  there  is  not  a 
single  instance  in  the  New  Testament,  in  which  it 
can  be  made  appear  that  it  must  be  understood  in  tho 


LECTURES    0\    BAPTIS3I.  103 

sense  of  immersion.  And  hence  it  appears  that, 
after  all,  immersion  is  left  to  complain,  with  reference 
to  the  support  derived  from  this  passage,  "It  is  a  bed 
shorter  than  I  c^i  stretch  myself  on  it,  and  a  cover- 
ing narrower  than  that  1  can  wrap  myself  in  it." 

Even  then,  with  the  advantage  which  the  common 
translation  might  seem  to  afford,  this  passage  of 
scripture  furnishes  nothing  like  a  conclusive  argu- 
ment in  support  of  immersion.  But  every  one  who 
is  capable  of  consulting  the  original  text,  knows  that, 
according  to  scripture  usage,  the  following  transla- 
tion is  equally  literal:  They  went  down  both  to  the 
water,  and  they  came  up  from  the  water.  The  very 
same  word  which  is  translated  into  the  water,  is  em- 
ployed twice  In  the  next  verse  but  one,  and  is  ren- 
dered, in  the  first  instance,  at  Azotus,  and  in  the 
second,  to  Cesarea.  I  say,  then,  without  hesitation, 
what  no  scholar  can  gainsay,  that  the  original  text 
does  not  afford  the  shadow  of  a  foundation  for  the 
exclusive  claims  of  immersion. 

But,  let  us  inquire  a  little  more  particularly  into 
the  facts  of  this  case.  Philip  was  directed  by  a 
divine  messenger  to  "arise  and  go  towards  the  south, 
unto  the  way  that  goeth  from  Jerusalem  to  Gaza, 
which  is  desert."  In  obedience  to  the  Divine  di- 
rection, he  went,  and  on  his  road  leading  through  a 
desert,  he  met  this  officer  of  queen  Candace,  and 
found  him  engaged  in  reading  the  scriptures  as  he 
journeyed  in  his  chariot.  The  particular  portion  of 
the  word  of  God  which  then  occupied  his  attention, 
was  a  remarkable  prophecy  of  Isaiah,  relative  to  the 
person  and  sufferings  of  the  Messiah,  which  com- 
mences with  the  13th  verse  of  the  52d  chapter.  And 
it  may  be  remarked,  that  the  sacred  text  was  not 
then,  as  it  is  now,  cut  up  by  the  division  of  chap* 


104  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

ters  and  verses.  In  the  very  beginning  of  this 
prophecy,  after  describing  the  Messiah  as  one  whose 
"visage  was  so  marred,  more  than  any  man,  and  his 
form  more  than  the  sons  of  men,"  tlie  prophet  speaks 
of  the  spiritual  blessings  which  he  sliould  bestow 
upon  the  nations,  in  these  renjarkable  words:  "So 
shall  he  sprinkle  many  nations.^' '^  The  blessings 
included  in  this  promise  are,  generally,  all  those 
spiritual  benefits,  which  are  the  purchase  of  Messiah's 
blood,  which  are  applied  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
which  are  represented  by  baptism.  And  the  term 
employed  to  signify  the  communication  of  these 
benefits,  by  the  agency  of  the  Spirit  through  the 
medium  of  baptism,  is,  sprinkle,  "  He  shall  sprinr 
kle  many  nations." 

Addressing  himself  to  the  Eunuch,  Philip  inquires^ 
"  Understandest  thou  what  thou  readest?"  This 
humble  inquirer  after  truth  acknowledges  his  igno; 
ranee,  and  desires  the  messenger  of  the  Lord  to  com($ 
up  into  the  chariot  and  instruct  hirp.  "Then  Philip 
opened  his  mouth,  and  began  at  the  same  scripture 
and  preached  unto  him  Jesus."  Philip  explained  th^ 
prophecy,  and  showed  its  exact  fulfilment  in  the  hu- 
miliation, sufferings  and  death  of  Jesus  Christ.  He 
would,  of  course,  also  instruct  this  humble  inquirer 
after  divine  knowledge,  in  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel 
and  the  value  of  the  blessings  which  it  reveals;  the 
nature  of  faith  in  Christ,  and  the  duty  of  professing 
his  name  by  the  reception  of  baptism. 

The  gospel,  faithfully  exhibited,  was  accompanied 
by  divine  power  to  the  heart  of  the  Eunuch.  And 
now  having  found  him,  of  whom  Moses  in  the 
|aw  and  the  prophets  did   write;   and    having  em- 

*  Ipniah  52:15. 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  105 

braced  him  as  his  own  Saviour,  he  desired  to  avow 
his  attachment  to  his  cause.  Accordingly,  as  they 
passed  along  the  highway,  "they  came  to  a  certain 
water;  and  the  Eunuch  said,  See,  here  is  water;  what 
doth  hinder  me  to  be  baptized?"  The  language  is 
not  such  as  we  would  expect  to  hear  applied  to  a 
river;  but  would  seem  to  be  naturally  used  in  refer- 
ence to  a  spring,  or  fountain,  by  the  side  of  the  road. 
And  as  Philip  had  before  gone  up  into  the  chariot,  it 
was  perfectly  natural  for  the  historian  to  represent 
him  and  the  Eunuch  now,  as  going  down  from  the 
chariot  to  the  water.  And  as  the  prophecy  which 
Philip  had  just  explained,  represents  the  Messiah  as 
communicating  the  blessings  of  his  grace  by  sprink-' 
ling,  the  natural  conclusion  is,  that  when  they  went 
down  to  the  water,  Philip,  taking  some  water  in  his 
hand,  sprinkled  it  upon  the  Eunuch.  And  then,  as 
the  Eunuch  again  went  up  into  his  chariot,  to  con- 
tinue his  journey,  and  as  Philip  would,  of  course, 
accompany  him  to  his  chariot  before  he  took  leave 
of  him,  it  was  perfectly  natural  for  the  sacred  histo- 
rian to  represent  them  as  going  up  from  the  water. 
There  is,  then,  nothing  in  the  history  of  this  case 
which  is  not  perfectly  consistent  with  the  supposition 
that  the  Eunuch  was  baptized  by  sprinkling.  And 
when  it  is  considered  that  in  the  very  portion  of  sa- 
cred scripture  which  he  was  then  employed  in  read- 
ing, and  which  Philip  explained  to  him,  those  spi- 
ritual blessings,  of  which  baptism  is  significant,  are 
said  to  be  communicated  by  sprinkling;  or,  in  other 
words,  since  the  spiritual  baptism,  which  alone  is 
effectual,  is  communicated  by  sprinkling,  we  can  have 
no  hesitation  in  coming  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
Eunuch  was  baptized  with  water  in  a  correspondent 
manner. 


106  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

There  are  two  other  passages  of  scripture  in  which 
it  is  alleged  that  there  is  an  allusion  to  the  mode  of 
baptism,  in  the  phrase  "buried  with  him  in  baptism;" 
and  which  are,  consequently,  regarded  as  conclusive 
in  favor  of  immersion.  Let  me,  then,  request  your 
patient  attention,  while  I  inquire,  whether,  according 
to  the  laws  of  correct  interpretation,  they  can  be 
considered  as  yielding  support  to  the  hypothesis,  in 
whose  behalf  they  are  claimed.  As  the  language  in 
both  these  examples  is  the  same,  it  will  be  sufficient 
to  examine  one  of  them.  In  the  sixth  chapter  of  the 
epistle  to  the  Romans,  we  find  these  words:  "Know 
ye  not  that  so  many  of  us  as  were  baptized  into  Jesus 
Christ,  were  baptized  into  his  death.  Therefore  we 
are  buried  with  him  by  baptism  into  death,  that  like 
as  Christ  was  raised  up  from  the  dead,  by  the  glory 
of  the  Father,  even  so  we  also  should  walk  in  new- 
ness of  life."*  On  this  portion  of  scripture  I  would 
offer  the  following  remarks: 

1.  If  we  should  grant  all  that  the  advocates  of 
immersion  claim,  namely,  that  in  these  words  there 
is  an  allusion  to  the  mode  of  administering  baptism, 
all  that  in  that  case  could  be  proved  by  them,  is,  that 
baptism  may  be  performed  by  immersion;  not  that  it 
must  be  performed  in  this  way,  and  in  no  other. 
Baptism,  according  to  the  scriptures,  is  signiticant  of 
spiritual  wasiiing,  or  cleansing,  which  may  be  per- 
formed in  various  ways.  And  we  have  no  hesitation 
in  admitting  that  the  external  rite  may  be  performed 
by  immersion;  for  the  validity  of  the  ordinance  does 
not  depend  upon  the  manner  in  which  the  water  is 
applied  to  the  body.  But  the  apostle  is  not  in  this 
place  discussing  the  subject  of  bnptism;  nor  is  he 

*  Romans  6  :  3,  4. 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  107 

giving  directions  with  regard  to  the  manner  of  per- 
forming the  rite.  Had  it  been  the  design  of  the 
apostle,  in  this  place,  to  give  instructions  as  to  the 
proper  mode  of  administering  the  ordinance,  and  had 
he  directed  that  the  person  baptized  should  be  buried 
in  water,  the  case  would  have  been  very  different 
from  what  it  is;  and  there  would  have  been  some 
reason  in  claiming  the  authority  of  the  apostle  in 
support  of  immersion.  But  it  is  an  entirely  different 
subject  which  occupies  the  attention  of  the  apostle; 
and  he  introduces  baptism,  merely  for  the  purpose  of 
illustrating  the  subject  which  he  is  discussing.  It 
is,  therefore,  unreasonable  to  consider  an  insulated 
phrase,  employed  in  a  passage  where  baptism  is  not 
the  subject  of  discussion  at  all,  as  determining  the 
manner  in  which  the  ordinance  must  be  administered. 

2.  But  I  remark,  in  the  next  place,  that  there  is  a 
particular  incongruity  in  making  a .  burial  in  the 
grave,  symbolical  of  baptism.  The  grave  suggests 
the  idea  of  corruption  and  loathsomeness;  whereas, 
according  to  the  scriptures,  baptism  is  significant  of 
cleansing,  or  purification.  To  consider  a  burial  as 
symbolical  of  baptism,  and  indicative  of  the  proper 
mode  of  performing  the  rite,  is  just  as  incongruous 
as  to  regard  corruption  the  symbol  of  purity. 

3.  To  suppose  that  there  is  an  allusion  to  the  mode 
of  baptism,  is  greatly  to  weaken,  if  not  entirely  de- 
stroy the  force  of  the  apostle's  argument.  The  apos- 
tle is  here  defending  the  doctrine  of  justification  by 
faith,  without  the  deeds  of  the  law,  against  the  ob- 
jection of  its  adversaries,  that  its  tendency  is  to  lead 
to  licentiousness  of  life.  This  objection  is  introduced, 
according  to  the  apostle's  manner,  in  the  interroga- 
tive form.  "Shall  we  continue  in  sin,  that  grace  may 
abound?"      If,  says  the  objector,  the  grace  of  God 


108  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

reigns  in  the  pardon  of  sin,  then  let  us  live  in  sin,  that 
so  the  more  we  sin,  there  may  be  an  opportunity  for 
the  more  illustrious  display  of  the  riches  of  grace, 
in  the  pardon  of  it.  The  apostle  rejects  the  impious 
thought  with  abhorrence.  God  forbid!  The  supposi- 
tion that,  under  any  circumstances,  a  christian  can 
live  in  sin,  is  moreover  utterly  inconsistent  with  the 
nature  of  a  work  of  grace  in  the  heart.  "How  shall  we 
that  are  dead  to  sin,  live  any  longer  iherein?"  And 
for  the  purpose  of  illustrating  the  truth,  that  believers 
are  dead  to  sin,  and  consequently  cannot  live  in  the 
practice  of  it,  he  introduces  the  subject  of  baptism. 
"Know  ye  not  that  so  many  of  us  as  were  baptized 
into  Christ,  were  baptized  into  his  death?"  It  is  upon 
the  meaning  of  this  ordinance,  and  not  upon  the 
manner  of  performing  the  external  rite,  that  the 
apostle's  argument  depends.  Baptism  is  significant 
of  our  union  to  Christ,  and  our  interest  in  all  those 
blessings  which  are  the  purchase  of  his  death.  From 
the  believer's  union  to  Christ,  it  results  that  he  is 
interested  in  his  death  and  resurrection  and  life.  As 
Christ  died  for  sin,  that  he  might  make  atonement 
for  it,  so  by  virtue  of  our  union  to  him,  we  are  inte- 
rested in  his  death,  and  are  thereby  delivered  from  the 
guilt  of  sin,  which  would  subject  us  to  condemnation; 
from  the  power  of  sin,  so  that  it  shall  no  more  have 
dominion  over  us;  and  from  the  pollution  of  sin, 
which  disqualifies  us  for  the  enjoyment  of  fellowship 
with  God  in  this  life,  as  well  as  for  admission  into 
his  heavenly  kingdom.  As  Christ,  after  having  died 
for  the  expiation  of  sin,  was  raised  up  from  the  dead, 
in  like  manner  we,  being  united  to  him,  are  raised 
from  a  state  of  death  in  sin,  and  enter  upon  a  new 
life,  so  that  we  henceforth  live  unto  God.  And  as 
Christ,  our  risen  and  exalted  head,  being  raised  from 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  109 

the  dead,  dieth  no  more,  but  ever  liveth  in  glory  and 
immortality;  so  by  virtue  of  our  union  with  him, 
because  he  liveth,  we  also  shall  live.  According  to 
the  argument  of  the  apostle,  then,  baptism  itself,  not 
the  mode  of  performing  the  rite,  but  the  ordinance 
itself,  according  to  its  spiritual  meaning  and  design, 
is  significant  of  our  union  to  Christ.  We  are  bap- 
tized into  his  death;  or,  as  the  same  idea  is  expressed 
in  a  parallel  passage,  "As  many  of  you  as  have  been 
baptized  into  Christ,  have  put  on  Christ.'^''*  Our 
union  with  Christ  is  signified  by  this  interesting  or- 
dinance; and  from  the  fact  of  our  union  to  him,  it 
results  that  we  are  partakers  of  the  benefits  of  his 
death,  and  are  interested  in  the  glory  of  his  resurrec- 
tion and  ascension  at  the  right  hand  of  God.  And 
hence  the  connection  here  exhibited  between  baptism 
and  the  death,  resurrection  and  life  of  Christ. 

The  humble  inquirer  after  truth,  who,  instead  of 
surrendering  his  understanding  and  judgment  to  be 
carried  away  by  the  mere  sound  of  words,  will  look 
into  this  passage  of  scripture,  with  a  desire  to  under- 
stand its  meaning,  will  perceive  that  the  apostle  uses 
a  variety  of  expressions  to  convey  the  same  general 
idea.  For  example,  we  have  the  expressions,  "Bap- 
tized into  his  death;"  "Bliried  with  him  by  baptism 
into  death;"  "Planted  in  the  likeness  of  his  death;" 
"Our  old  man  is  crucified  with  him;"  "Dead  with 
Christ;"  all  of  which  convey  the  same  general  idea, 
namely,  that  we  are  dead  to  sin,  in  consequence  of 
our  interest  in  the  death  of  Christ.  A  regular  an- 
tithesis is  maintained  throughout  the  whole  passage. 
And  contrasted  with  these  expressions,  the  apostle 
employs  the  following:  "Newness  of  life;"  "The  like- 

*  Galatians,  2  :  27. 
10 


110  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

ness  of  his  resurrection;"  "That  the  body  of  sin 
should  be  destroyed,  that  henceforth  we  should  not 
serve  sin;"  "We  shall  also  live  with  him;"  which 
different  fornns  of  expression  convey  substantially 
the  same  idea,  namely,  that  being  united  to  Christ, 
we  are  partakers  of  a  new  life,  whereby  we  are 
enabled  to  live  unto  God.  And  of  our  union  to 
Christ,  baptism  in  his  name,  and  not  the  manner  of 
performing  the  rite,  is  significant.  Neither  the  lan- 
guage which  the  apostle  employs,  nor  the  design  of 
his  argument,  therefore,  has  any  thing  to  do  with 
the  mode  of  administering  baptism. 

4.  I  remark  further,  that  iDefore  any  argument  in 
support  of  immersion  can  be  founded  upon  this  pas- 
sage, we  must,  in  the  outset,  assume  the  very  point 
in  dispute;  namely,  that  there  is  here  an  allusion  to 
the  mode  of  baptism.  If  the  mode  of  baptism  is  not 
referred  to,  then  it  is  clear  that  immersion  has  no 
support  whatever  from  the  language  employed  by 
the  apostle.  The  advocate  of  immersion,  therefore, 
without  encountering  the  difficulty  of  proving  what 
in  truth  he  cannot  prove,  finds  it  much  more  conve- 
nient to  assume  the  point,  that  the  apostle  refers  to 
the  mode  of  baptism.  And  then  he  gives  the  rein 
to  his  imagination,  and  undertakes  to  trace  the  simil- 
itude between  a  burial  and  an  immersion.  But  I 
would  ask,  where  is  the  evidence  that  the  mode  of 
baptism  was  in  the  view  of  the  apostle's  mind?  He 
is  not  giving  directions  with  regard  to  the  adminis- 
tration of  this  ordinance;  nor  is  baptism  the  subject 
on  which  he  is  writing.  He  is  occupied  with  the 
consideration  of  an  entirely  different  subject;  and 
refers  to  the  spiritual  meaning  and  design  of  baptism, 
for  the  sake  of  illustrating  the  doctrine  of  sanclifica- 
tipn  as  the  result  of  our  union  to  Christ.     The  object 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  Ill 

of  the  apostle,  therefore,  requires  us  to  look  beyond 
the  mere  mode  of  performing  the  external  rite,  to  that 
which  is  of  unspeakably  greater  importance,  namely, 
the  spiritual  meaning  of  the  ordinance. 

Not  only,  however,  is  it  inconsistent  with  the  de- 
sign of  the  apostle  to  suppose  that  his  language  was 
intended  to  convey  an  allusion  to  the  mode  of  bap- 
tism, but,  independent  of  this  consideration,  the  sup- 
posed resemblance  between  immersion  and  the  burial 
of  our  Lord  is  altogether  imaginary.  By  the  help 
of  a  lively  imagination,  we  may  bring  our  minds  to 
conceive  that,  between  the  act  of  letting  down  a  dead 
body  into  the  a;rave,  and  covering  it  with  earth,  ac- 
cording to  our  mode  of  interment,  and  the  immersion 
of  a  person  in  water,  there  is  some  similitude.  But 
it  is  of  being  buried  with  Christ,  that  the  apostle 
speaks ;  and  the  dead  body  of  our  Lord  was  not 
covered  with  earth  in  a  grave.  Consider  for  a  mo- 
ment the  circumstances  connected  with  the  burial  of 
Christ,  as  narrated  by  the  evangelists.  Joseph,  of 
Arimathea,  a  rich  man,  and  an  honorable  counsellor, 
after  the  crucifixion  of  our  Lord,  "went  to  Pilate  and 
begged  the  body  of  Jesus.  Then  Pilate  commanded 
the  body  to  be  delivered.  And  when  Joseph  had 
taken  the  body,  he  wrapped  it  in  a  clean  linen  cloth, 
and  laid  it  in  his  own  new  tomb,  which  he  had  hewn 
out  in  a  rock,  and  he  rolled  a  great  stone  to  the  door 
of  the  sepulchre."*  You  see,  then,  that  when  our 
Lord's  body  was  buried,  it  was  not  let  down  into  the 
earth;  it  was  not  covered  with  earth,  but  was  carried 
through  a  door  into  a  room  of  considerable  dimen- 
sions, hewn  out  of  a  rock,  and  deposited  there.  That 
this  sepulchre  of  Joseph  was  an  apartment  some- 

*  Malt.  27  :  58—60. 


112  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

what  spacious,  is  evident  from  the  fact,  that  Mary 
Magdalene,  and  Mary,  the  mother  of  James  and  Sa- 
lome, who  came  to  anoint  the  body  of  Jesus,  finding 
the  door  open,  entered  into  it.  And  when  they  went 
in,  they  saw  an  angel  in  the  form  of  a  "young  man 
sitting  on  the  right  side,  clothed  in  a  long  white  gar- 
ment."* This  apartment,  then,  in  which  the  body 
of  our  Lord  was  laid,  was  sutficiently  capacious  to 
receive  several  persons  at  the  same  time.  And  in 
the  side  of  this  apartment  the  body  of  Jesus  was  laid. 
When  these  circumstances  are  kept  in  view,  I  must 
be  permitted  to  say,  that  the  man  who  can  discern  any 
resemblance  between  the  immersion  of  a  person  in 
water,  and  the  laying  of  the  body  of  our  Lord  in  this 
open  room,  hewn  out  of  a  rock,  deserves  the  credit 
of  possessing  an  imagination  remarkable  for  its  in- 
ventive powers. 

But  will  it  be  said  that,  explain  it  as  we  may,  still 
there  was  a  burial  of  the  body  of  Christ;  and  it  is 
between  the  idea  of  immersion  and  a  burial  that  the 
resemblance  holds?  1  answer,  such  a  reply  may 
satisfy  a  person  who  surrenders  his  understanding  to 
be  led  by  the  mere  sound  of  a  word;  but,  with  those 
who  will  submit  to  the  trouble  of  thinking,  so  as  to 
understand  the  meaning  of  plain  language,  it  will  do 
nothing  at  all  to  remove  the  difficulty.  The  question 
is  not,  what  is  meant  by  the  word  "  J^/r^e67,"  but,  in 
what  manner  was  Christ  buried?  This  is  the  ques- 
tion; and  any  one  who  can  read  his  bible,  may  an- 
swer the  question.  The  body  of  Christ  was  laid  in 
the  side  of  a  large,  open  apartment,  hewn  out  of  a 
rock.  And  I  will  say,  in  the  ear  of  common  sense, 
that  there  is  no  more  resemblance  between  iramer- 

*  Mark  16:  5. 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  IIJJ 

sion,  and  thcmanner  in  which  the  body  of  Christ  was 
buried,  than  tjpere  is  between  sprinkling  a  little  water 
on  the  lace,  and  immersing  the  whole  body  in  water. 
1  have  already  remarked,  that  the  validity  of  bap- 
tism does  not  depend  upon  the  precise  mode  accord- 
ing to  which  the  water  is  applied  to  the  body,  nor 
yet  upon  the  quantity  used.  The  external  rite  is 
significant  of  spiritual  washing,  or  purification,  and 
all  that  is  considered  essential  in  the  administration 
of  the  ordinance,  is,  that  water  be  applied  according 
to  some  scriptural  mode  of  cleansing.  However,  I 
regard  sprinkling  as  the  most  suitable  and  scriptural 
mode;  and  it  is  the  only  one  to  which  I  am  willing 
to  conform  in  practice.  My  principal  reasons  for  pre- 
ferring this  mode,  before  all  others,  are  the  following; 

1.  The  word  baptize,  according  to  its  most  com- 
mon acceptation  in  the  New  Testament,  is  employed 
to  convey  the  idea  of  washin^i;,  or  cleansing.  And 
among  all  the  divinely  appointed  modes  of  purifica- 
tion, referred  to  in  scripture,  sprinkling  was  one  of 
the  most  common.  The  sprinkling  of  water  upon 
the  person  baptized,  is,  therefore,  properly  significant 
of  the  design  of  this  ordinance. 

2.  The  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  of  which  the 
external  rite  is  emblematic,  is.  in  the  sacred  scrip- 
tures, always  represented  as  being  effected  by  pour- 
ing, or  sprinkling.  "I  will  pour  out  my  Spirit  upon 
all  flesh,"  is  a  prediction,  in  the  fulfilment  of  which, 
those  persons  who  were  interested  in  it  are  said  to  be 
baptized'  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  "I  will  sprinkle  clean 
water  upon  you,  and  you  shall  be  clean;  from  ail 
your  filthiness  and  from  all  your  idols  will  I  cleanse 
3'ou;"  is  a  precious  promise,  in  which  the  communi- 
cation of  the  purifying  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
is  signified.     If,  then,  the  spiritual  baptism,  of  which 

10* 


114  LECTURES  ON  BAPTISM. 

the  external  rite  is  symbolical,  is  effected  by  pouring, 
or  sprinkling,  then  it  is  evident  that  the  person  on 
whom  the  water  of  baptism  is  sprinkled,  is  baptized 
in  a  scriptural  manner. 

3.  The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  cleanseth 
from  sin,  and  of  which  the  water  of  baptism  is  a  sym- 
bol, is  in  scripture  termed,  "the  blood  of  sprinkling." 
"We  are  come,"  says  the  apostle,  "to  Jesus,  the  Me- 
diator of  the  new  covenant,  and  to  the  blood  of  sprink- 
ling, that  speaketh  better  things  than  that  of  Abel." 
And  the  application  of  the  virtue  of  the  blood  of 
atonement,  for  the  removal  of  moral  defilement,  is 
represented  under  the  idea  of  sprinkling:  ^^l[  the 
blood  of  bulls,  and  of  goats,  and  the  ashes  of  a  heifer, 
sprinkling  the  unclean,  sanctifieth  to  the  purifying 
of  the  flesh:  how  much  more  shall  the  blood  of  Christ, 
who,  through  the  eternal  Spirit,  offered  himself  to 
God,  purge  3'-our  conscience  from  dead  works  to  serve 
the  living  God."*  And  again:  "Let  us  draw  near  to 
God  with  true  hearts,  in  the  full  assurance  of  faith, 
having  our  hearts  sprinkled  from  an  evil  conscience, 
and  our  bodies  washed  with  pure  water.'J  Since  then 
the  blood  of  atonement  is  termed  the  blood  of  sprink- 
ling; and  since  the  application  of  its  purifying  virtue 
to  the  conscience,  is  represented  under  the  idea  of 
sprinkling;  therefore,  the  application  of  the  water  of 
baptism,  in  the  form  of  sprinkling,  is  at  once  an  ex- 
pressive, simple  and  scriptural  mode  of  administering 
this  ordinance. 

4.  And,  in  the  last  place,  I  not  only  greatly 
prefer  this  mode,  but  I  am  opposed  to  the  perform- 
ance of  this  christian  rite  by  immersion;  because, 
})aptism  administered  in  this  way,  is  a  burdensome 

*  Heb.  9  :  13,  14. 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  115 

rite,  more  in  accordance  with  the  spirit  of  the  legal 
dispensation,  than  with  the  mild  genius  of  the  gospel. 
Jn  northern  latitudes,  the  administration  of  baptism, 
according  to  this  mode,  during  a  considerable  portion 
of  the  year,  would  be  attended  with  greater  danger 
to  the  health  and  life  of  the  person  baptized,  than 
even  circumcision  itself.  And  we  can  easily  suppose 
a  case,  in  which  an  individual  might  desire  baptism, 
and  have  a  right  to  this  christian  privilege,  and  yet, 
owing  to  peculiar  circumstances,  it  would  be  alto- 
gether impracticable  to  administer  the  ordinance, 
after  the  manner  of  immersion.  Suppose,  for  ex- 
ample, the  case  of  a  person,  who,  under  the  influence 
of  declining  health,  is  confined  for  years  to  his  room; 
or,  that  of  a  convict  who  is  confined  to  a  prison. 
Let  us  suppose  that,  under  such  circumstances,  g, 
person  becomes  the  subject  of  converting  grace.  In^ 
stances  of  this  kind  have  occurred,  and  may  occur. 
In  the  case  supposed,  the  individual  whose  heart  the 
Lord  may  have  opened  to  the  cordial  reception  of 
the  truth,  would  desire  to  confess  the  name  of  Christ 
before  men,  and  to  be  recognised  as  a  member  of  his 
visible  church.  And  he  would  not  only  have  a  right 
to  admission  into  the  church  of  Christ,  but  no  faith- 
ful steward  of  the  mysteries  of  God  could,  consist- 
ently, deny  him  the  enjoyment  of  this  right.  Sup- 
pose such  an  individual  should  afford  unequivocal 
evidence  of  a  change  of  heart;  should  make  a  satis- 
factory profession  of  his  faith  in  Christ,  and  should 
say  to  the  minister  of  the  gospel,  "What  doth  hinder 
me  to  be  baptized?"  He  who  would  insist  upon  con- 
formity to  the  mode  of  immersion,  could  not  reply 
to  him  as  Philip  did  to  the  Eunuch,  "  If  thou  believ- 
est  with  all  thine  heart,  thou  mayest;"  but  would 
have  to  give  the  painful  answer,  It  is  impossible  to 


1  1(3  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

comply  with  your  request.  You  have  indeed  a  right 
to  baptism;  but  in  your  situation  the  initiating  ordi- 
nance of  Christianity  cannot  be  administered  by  im- 
mersion, and  therefore  you  cannot  be  admited  into 
the  visible  church  of  Christ.  Can  this  be  the  law  of 
Him,  whose  yoke  is  easy  and  whose  burden  is  light? 
If  there  was  a  positive  appointment  of  our  Lord 
and  Saviour  that,  in  the  administration  of  baptism, 
the  individual  should  be  completely  immersed  in 
water,  then  of  course  it  would  be  our  duty  to  observe 
this  particular  mode,  and  none  other.  But  we  have 
seen,  from  a  careful  examination  of  the  original 
institution  of  baptism,  and  of  the  scriptural  accepta- 
tion of  the  words  baptize  and  baptism,  that  this  is  not 
the  fact.  In  the  original  appointment  of  this  ordi- 
nance, we  have  seen  that  there  is  nothing  at  all  said 
in  relation  to  the  mode  of  its  administration.  The 
command  of  the  Saviour  is  simply,  Baptize.  We 
have  carefully  inquired  into  the  scriptural  accepta- 
tion of  the  word  baptize,  and  we  have  seen  that  it  is 
used  to  convey  the  idea  of  washing,  without  refer- 
ence to  the  particular  manner  in  which  the  water  is 
applied.  We  have,  moreover,  seen  that  our  Lord 
has  not  only  promised  to  bestow,  by  sprinkling,  those 
very  blessings  which  arc  represented  by  baptism, 
but  also  that  he  actually  did,  according  to  his  pro- 
mise, baptize  his  disciples  by  pouring  out  the  Holy 
Spirit  upon  them.  And  we  are  very  sure  that  we 
cannot  err  in  imitating  his  example.  Having  such 
authority,  therefore,  we  cannot  agree  to  submit  to  a 
yoke  which  men  would  impose  upon  us,  but  which  is 
not  required  by  our  Lord  and  Master. 


CONCLUSION. 

My  dear  brethren,  for  vvliose  benefit,  prinnarily, 
these  remarks  have  been  penned,  suffer  me,  in  con- 
clusion, to  call  your  attention  to  a  few  practical  ob- 
servations. You  regard  it  as  an  act  of  great  conde- 
scension on  the  part  of  God,  that  he  has  been  pleased 
to  establish  a  covenant  with  you  and  your  seed;  and 
you  esteem  it  an  unspeakable  privilege  that  your 
offspring  are  interested  in  the  blessings  of  God's 
covenant.  But  let  us  not  forget  that  the  enjoyment 
of  distinguished  privileges  involves  correspondent  res- 
ponsibility. The  promise  is  to  you  and  to  your 
children;  and  on  this  ground  you  are  permitted  to 
bring  your  children  to  God,  in  the  ordinance  of  his 
own  appointment,  that  they  may  be  made  partakers 
of  the  visible  sign  of  their  interest  in  his  favor.  And 
having  dedicated  them  to  Him,  it  well  becomes  us, 
seriously,  to  ponder  the  obligation  which  lies  upon  us, 
to  bring  up  our  children  in  the  nurture  and  admo- 
nition of  the  Lord.  And  you  naturally  inquire,  how 
shall  we  discharge  successfully  this  high  obligation? 
To  this  inquiry  I  reply, 

1.  Let  it  be  our  constant  study  to  present  true  re- 
ligion to  the  view  of  our  children,  in  the  form  of  a 
living  example.  You  have  all  remarked  that  at  a 
very  early  period  of  life,  children  evidence  an  imita- 
tive disposition.  Before  they  are  capable  of  forming 
an  idea  of  abstract  principles  of  morality,  they  dis- 
cover a  disposition  to  do  what  they  see  others  doing. 
And  in  consequence  of  the  regard  which  they  natu- 
rally have  for  their  parents,  as  well  as  on  account 


118  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

of  their  familiar  intercourse  with  them,  they  are 
peculiarly  prone  to  copy  after  the  parental  example. 
How  important,  then,  is  it  that  the  tendency  of  our 
example  should  be  to  impress  the  minds  of  our  chil- 
dren with  the  truth,  that  true  religion  is  the  one  thing 
which  is  needful/  How  carefully  should  we  avoid 
in  their  presence  every  thing  like  indecent,  irreverent 
or  profane  language!  How  necessary  is  it  that  we 
faithfully  perform  every  religious  duty,  and  observe 
every  ordinance  of  God's  appointment,  that  so  by  our 
example  we  may  lead  them  in  that  strait  way  which 
leadeth  unto  eternal  life! 

Our  children  see  that  we  profess  the  name  of 
Christ;  that  on  the  Sabbath  we  repair  to  the  sanctu- 
ary; and  that  we  take  our  seat  at  the  sacramental 
table.  But  do  they  see  that  we  walk  with  God  du- 
ring the  week?  Are  they  assembled  regularly  to 
unite  with  us  in  offering  the  morning  and  evening 
sacrifice  to  God?  Do  they  see  that  we  reverence 
the  word  of  God,  and  use  it  as  a  light  to  our  feet  and 
a  lamp  to  our  path?  My  brethren,  let  it  be  our  ha- 
bitual endeavor  so  to  walk  before  our  children,  that 
we  may  say  to  them.  Be  ye  followers  of  us,  as  ice 
also  are  of  Christ. 

2.  Let  us  be  careful  to  instil  into  their  minds  the 
principles  of  religious  knowledge.  As  a  general  fact, 
it  is  well  known  that  in  youth  the  character  is  thrown 
into  that  mould  which  gives  a  complexion  to.the  man's 
subsequent  life.  The  principles  then  implanted,  the 
attachments  then  formed,  and  the  habits  then  acquir- 
ed, ordinarily  grow  with  our  growth,  and  strengthen 
with  our  strenoth. 


"Tis  cflucation  forms  tlio  youthful  mind; 
Just  as  the  twig;  is  bent,  the  tree's  inclined." 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  119 

It  must  therefore  be  all  important,  that  while  the 
mind  is  pliant,  and  when  the  character  is  forming, 
our  youth  should  be  placed  under  the  influence  of 
correct  moral  and  religious  principles.  If  it  is  de- 
signed that  a  person  shall  pursue  any  particular 
avocation  in  life,  whether  it  may  be  some  mechan- 
ical employment,  or  some  literary  profession,  the 
wisdom  and  experience  of  the  world  have  decided, 
that  it  is  highly  important  to  commence  in  youth  a 
course  of  preparatory  training  for  it.  And  must  we 
commence  early,  and  labor  assiduously,  to  prepare 
our  offspring  for  performing  with  propriety  their 
part  upon  the  theatre  of  this  transitory  state  of  ex- 
istence, and  yet  postpone,  to  a  convenient  season, 
those  efforts  which  are  designed  to  prepare  our  chil- 
dren for  a  glorious  immortality! 

It  is  a  very  erroneous,  and  in  its  practical  tenden- 
cy, an  exceedingly  hurtful  opinion,  to  suppose  that 
the  youthful  mind  should  be  instructed  on  every  other 
subject  save  that  of  religion;  that  every  other  depart- 
ment of  knowledge  should  engage  our  attention  in 
youth,  but  that  the  acquisition  of  religious  knowledge 
should  be  neglected,  until  the  mental  powers  have  at- 
tained to  a  good  degree  of  maturity.  Such  a  principle 
is,  in  every  aspect  of  the  case,  absurd  and  pernicious^ 
Are  our  children  rational  and  accountable  creatures? 
Are  they  candidates  for  an  eternal  state  of  blessed- 
ness or  wo?  And  does  their  future  destiny  depend 
upon  the  principles  they  imbibe,  and  the  character 
they  form,  in  the  present  life?  Then  it  is  prepos- 
terous to  keep  out  of  view  the  acquisition  of  that 
knowledge,  the  importance  of  which  is  to  be  meas- 
ured only  by  the  duration  of  eternity,  until  that  has 
been  acquired  which  is  valuable  merely  in  reference 
to  this  momentary  state  of  existence.     And  besides? 


120  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

if  we  remain  idle  during  this  interesting  period  of 
life;  if  we  neglect  to  sow  the  seeds  of  religious  know- 
ledge in  the  spring-time  of  life,  the  enemy,  more  ac- 
tive and  vigilant,  will  be  employed,  and  the  virgin 
soil  of  the  youthful  mind  shall  be  pre-occupied  with 
the  hurtful  weeds  of  error  and  immorality.  And  after- 
wards, it  may  require  much  greater  labor  to  eradi- 
cate these  noxious  plants,  than  would  have  been  re- 
quisite at  the  proper  time  to  implant  the  principles 
of  evangelical  truth  and  holiness.  Then,  in  the  morn- 
ing sow  thy  seed. 

To  aid  you  in  the  discharge  of  the  important  duty 
of  instructing  your  children  in  religious  knowledge, 
you  may  profitably  employ  those  admirable  cate- 
chisms, received  by  our  church,  in  which  the  doc- 
trines of  the  bible  are  clearly  and  succinctly  exhibited. 
Let  these  be  carefully  committed  to  memory,  that 
so,  as  the  powers  of  the  mind  are  gradually  develop- 
ed, they  may  find  important  truth  stored  up  to  occu- 
py their  attention.  Be  careful  to  bring  your  chil- 
dren with  you,  when  you  attend  upon  the  services 
of  the  sanctuary.  It  is  the  place  where  God  has 
recorded  his  name,  and  in  relation  to  which  he  has 
promised,  there  I  will  come  unto  thee  and  bless  thee. 
Bring  your  children  with  you,  then,  when  you  come 
to  appear  before  the  Lord  in  Zion,  that  they  may 
enjoy  his  blessing.  Explain  to  fhem,  as  they  are 
capable  of  understanding,  the  meaning  and  design 
of  those  religious  services  in  which  you  may  engage. 
Their  curiosity  will  often  be  awakened  in  relation  to 
those  exercises  of  religious  worship  which  they  wit- 
ness, and  they  will  be  disposed  to  inquire,  "What 
mean  ye  by  this  service?"  Such  inquiries  should  be 
encouraged,  and  should  be  answered  as  we  may  be 
able,     And    thus  their  interest   in  attending  upon 


LECTURES     ON    BAPTISM.  121 

the  ordinances  of  God's  appointment  will  be  height- 
ened, while  they  may  derive  from  them  increasing 
advantage.  These  things,  saith  God,  with  respect 
to  the  precepts  and  institutions  delivered  to  his  an- 
cient people,  thou  shalt  teach  dih'gently  to  thy  chil- 
dren, and  shalt  talk  of  them  when  thou  sittest  in 
thine  house,  and  when  thou  walkest  by  the  way,  and 
when  thou  liest  down,  and  when  thou  risest  up.  The 
experience  and  observation  of  every  day  remind  us, 
that  the  time  is  short  and  that  life  is  uncertain.  We 
know  not  how  soon  our  children  may  be  left  with- 
out parents  to  watch  over  them;  or  we  may  be  called 
to  mourn  over  their  removal  from  us.  While  there- 
fore we  have  opportunity,  let  us  be  careful  to  train 
up  our  children  in  the  way  wherein  they  should  go, 
having  the  encouraging  promise,  that  when  they  are 
old  they  will  not  depart  from  it. 

3.  Finally,  let  me  remind  you  of  the  necessity 
and  importance  of  exercising  authority  over  your 
children  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord.  There  is  perhaps 
no  duty  incumbent  on  us  as  parents,  in  which  we 
more  generally  fail,  than  in  that  of  keeping  our  chil- 
dren in  due  subordination.  Youth  are  naturally  im- 
patient under  restraint;  and  under  the  influence  of  a 
spirit  of  false  tenderness,  we  too  often  permit  them 
to  take  their  own  way,  to  their  serious  injury.  It  is 
no  idle  declaration  which  the  Spirit  of  inspiration 
has  uttered,  vvhere  we  are  informed,  that  "a  child 
]eft  to  himself,  bringeth  his  mother  to  shame."  In 
the  history  of  Eli's  family,  we  have  on  this  subject 
a  solemn  admonition.  This  venerable  priest  of  the 
Lord  was  doubtless  a  pious  man,  and  yet  he  was  la- 
mentably deficient  in  the  exercise  of  parental  author- 
ity. And  his  undue  indulgence  of  his  children  was 
at  once  his  sin  and  their  ruin.  "The  sons  of  Eli 
11 


122  LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM. 

were  sons  of  Belial;  they  knew  not  the  Lord;  and 
•the  sin  of  the  young  men  was  very  ^reat  before  the 
Lord."  And  what  was  the  result?  "The  Lord  said 
to  Samuel,  behold  I  will  do  a  thing  in  Israel,  at 
which  both  the  ears  of  every  one  that  heareth  it 
shall  tingle.  In  that  day  I  will  perform  against  Eli 
all  things  which  I  have  spoken  concerning  his  house; 
when  1  begin  I  will  also  make  an  end.  For  I  have 
told  him  that  I  will  judge  his  house  forever  for  the 
iniquity  which  he  knoweth;  because  his  sons  made 
themselves  vile,  and  he  restrained  them  noty  Our 
children,  my  brethren,  however  lovely  they  may  ap- 
pear in  our  eyes,  are  depraved  and  sinful  beings. 
Their  hearts  are  naturally  alienated  from  God,  and 
there  is  deeply  rooted  in  their  nature  a  proneness  to 
evil.  Possessing  as  yet  but  limited  knowledge,  and 
destitute  of  experience;  ignorant  of  the  dangers 
which  beset  the  path  of  life,  and  prone  to  turn  aside 
into  those  crooked  ways  which  lead  to  ruin,  they  are 
not  competent  to  choose  for  themselves.  God  has 
placed  them  under  our  direction;  and  while  he  has 
made  it  their  duty  to  obey,  we  are  accountable  to 
him  for  the  exercise  of  authority  over  them,  both  in 
exciting  them  to  duty  and  in  restraining  them  from 
evil.  To  the  everlasting  honor  of  Abraham,  as  a 
parent,  this  testimony  is  recorded:  "I  know  him,  that 
he  will  command  his  children  and  his  household  after 
him,  and  they  shall  keep  the  way  of  the  Lord,  to  do 
justice  and  judgment."  You  have  professedly  join- 
ed yourselves  to  the  Lord  in  a  perpetual  covenant; 
and  in  the  dedication  of  your  children  to  God  in  bap- 
tism, you  have  declared  your  resolution,  by  the 
grace  of  God,  to  walk  in  all  the  commandments  and 
ordinances  of  the  Lord  blameless.  Then  let  your 
light  so   shine  before  men,  that  they  seeing  your 


LECTURES    ON    BAPTISM.  123 

good  works,  may  glorify  your  Father  in  heaven. 
And  that  you  may  enjoy  the  happiness  of  seeing 
your  children  useful  and  ornamental  members  of  the 
church  of  Christ  on  earth,  and  heirs  of  glory  in  the 
heavenly  kingdom,  shall  be  the  unceasing  prayer  of 
your  affectionate  Pastor. 


